Baby Boy?
by connorperry42
Summary: Keeping your identity a secret is hard. What do you do when a spell reveals more than you like? Chris revelation fic.
1. Chapter 1

Every since Wyatt learned how to orb himself someplace he found it fun to just pop up wherever he liked much to his mother's chagrin. Piper would place her son in his cot or his playpen only to have the little boy appear in an entirely different room of the house mere moments later. If she was about to bathe him he orb himself to one of his aunts instead.

After two weeks of this Piper was at her wits end. No other mother in the world had to put up with something like this, but then, no other mother had a baby who could orb. Since magic got her into this mess, she decided that magic would be her solution.

She wrote a spell and then cast it over the playpens, cot, highchair and kitchen table and chairs (little Wyatt would orb his and everyone else's food away), the bathtub and the nursery. It was a simple spell, only two lines and she desperately hoped it would work.

It didn't.

When Wyatt had orbed down to his mother after being put to bed the following night Piper let out a low curse word under her breath.

"I thought you said you fixed that?" Paige had asked confused.

"I thought I had" Piper replied frustrated, "I wrote a spell that should have worked."

"Well what did it say?" Phoebe questioned.

"Let this mother have some joy, do not let escape her baby boy; until family lets him out keep him safe and not about" Piper recited.

"Sounds like it should work" Paige said.

"I agree" Phoebe nodded.

"And yet…" Piper gestured to the little boy in her lap.

"We'll help you come up with something better in the morning honey." Phoebe assured.

With that all three of them had gone to bed with little Wyatt in tow. They didn't know where the spell had gone wrong but were too tired to figure it out at this point in time.

The following morning Paige was called to a temp job, Phoebe received an urgent call from Elise and Piper had to run to the club. The spell postponed for the time being. After another week Wyatt finally gave up the fight and only orbed out once in a while and the spell was forgotten.

Chris couldn't believe it! He'd specifically made plans with the sisters to meet at the manor at ten so that they could all work on the latest vanquish. He had given in and let them have their lives; he had worked around their schedule. And what did he get for his efforts? An empty house!

This was the third time this week they'd had to reschedule. He alone had managed to vanquish fifteen demons this week and completed three undercover research quests. What had the sisters done? Gone on dates, put a baby to bed and talked.

Chris was fuming and pacing the floor. He couldn't vanquish this demon alone, it required a power of three spell. If he didn't truly need the sisters for this he wouldn't even bother. If only he were stronger, he wouldn't have to…. "Ah!" He tripped over one of Wyatt's little cars and found himself landing face first into the sunroom playpen.

After fully collapsing into the playpen Chris shook himself off and stood up. "Stupid brat. Leaving his crap all over the place" he grumbled as he lifted his leg and made to step over the side. The instant Chris' foot was about to go past the edge of the playpen it was bounced back.

"What the hell?"

Thinking that it was just some weird mistake Chris tried again. This time his foot was pushed back hard enough to force him down. Confused Chris attempted to orb out of the playpen but nothing happened. Now this was ridiculous. He tried to blast the side of the playpen and tip it over with his telekinesis – neither worked.

"Now what?"

After almost two hours of attempting to escape Chris finally slumped back and admitted defeat. He didn't understand what had happened. Why was he trapped in Wyatt's playpen?


	2. Chapter 2

Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Wyatt were all headed back to the manor after a lovely Saturday afternoon. After a full week of work and boyfriend trouble plus dealing with a neurotic whitelighter's incessant pestering the sisters had all felt that they could use a day off. In true sisterly fashion they had taken the baby and headed out for a day of shopping.

At five pm that afternoon/evening Piper handed her son off to her youngest sister and pulled her keys out of her purse. She was laughing at something Phoebe said as she walked through the door. This had been such a wonderful day.

Chris heard the door open and shot up. Finally they were home, he'd been trapped in this stupid playpen for hours. What could they have possibly been doing that kept them out so late? He knew for a fact that none of them had to work today – he'd set it up himself so that they'd all be home and ready for the vanquish.

As Chris watched his mother and aunts to be walk into the room laughing and carrying shopping bags he wanted to scream. In fact, he did scream.

"I work my ass off to ensure you have this day open for a vanquish and you blow me off to go shopping!"

All three sisters jumped at the sudden shouting and turned to see the strangest sight that had ever graced their eyes. Their neurotic whitelighter standing in Wyatt's playpen, with his arms crossed over his chest, and glaring at them. It took everything Phoebe had not to burst into laughter right then and there. Paige didn't share in her sister's self-restraint.

"You're laughing at me!" Chris exclaimed, "I've been trapped here for seven hours! You missed yet another vanquish! And you're laughing at me!"

"Chris!" Piper called.

"What?" Chris ground out, turning his attention away from Paige to glare at Piper.

"First," Piper started, "drop the attitude." She saw Chris start to open his mouth to protest but held her hand up in a halting gesture and leveled him with a glare of her own. "I'm not finished yet." She stated. "Second. What are you doing in the playpen?"

Piper stood there waiting for Chris' answer but none came. The boy was looking around the room ignoring her "Chris"

"Oh, are you finished now?" Chris asked snippily.

Piper narrowed her eyes, "You're allowed to answer my question but past that I'd say no. You are not allowed to speak at this point in time."

Chris ground his teeth together. He would like nothing more than to just tell Piper to shove it but he really needed to get out of this playpen and he needed the sister's help for that. And of course Piper was the lead sister. "As I've _already stated_ ," Chris bit out, "I'm trapped in this damn thing."

Chris watched as Piper's mouth pursed into a thin line and she took in a deep, calming breath. If this had been Piper his mother Chris would have feared for his life. But this wasn't his mother this was Piper the woman who hated the ground he walked on. Chris wasn't afraid of this Piper.

"Well here's a crazy thought" Paige said condescendingly, "Why don't you just step over the side?"

Chris rolled his eyes, "You think I haven't already tried that?"

"I do believe I said you weren't supposed to be talking" Piper stated pointing her finger out at Chris and waving it for slight emphasis.

Chris glared at Piper "And _I do believe_ that you don't have control over when I can and can't talk or anything else for that matter"

Piper raised her eyebrows at that. "You're right" she said eventually. "Girls what do you say we go and put our new clothes in the wash and I'll make us all some supper?"

Phoebe and Paige gave each other identically surprised looks but chose to let it be. This was a fight between Piper and Chris, the two most stubborn people that they knew and neither woman had any desire to get in the middle of it.

"I'll take Wyatt upstairs and change him" Paige offered.

"And I'll take all the bags and start the laundry" Phoebe said.

Chris watched in shock as both women hurried out of the room.

"I'm going to start on supper" Piper informed him, "You have fun."

"Hey!" Chris yelled, "What about me?"

Piper turned back and started the boy down, "Well as you've pointed out, I have no call in what you say or do so figure it out for yourself" and with that Chris was left alone in the sunroom and still trapped in the playpen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright. First I would like to say that I appreciate comments and am happy that you all enjoy this story. I honestly didn't think this would be all that popular given the way Chris' identity is revealed. So thank you to all of my readers.**

 **Second. There are a few things different in this story than in the show. One would be that Chris is the youngest of his generation with a fifteen year age gap between him and Wyatt. The reason will be explained later don't fret. Second is that Piper died when Chris was a lot younger than fourteen but you'll have to wait and find out what age.**

Chris had screamed for Piper, Phoebe or Paige to come back, to let him out; to do _something, anything._ No one helped him. He had eventually slumped back down onto the base mat of the playpen and sulked. This day just sucked!

An hour and a half later and the wonderful smells of Piper's cooking were emanating throughout the bottom floor of the house. Chris' stomach clenched slightly at the desirable aroma. He sighed; it had been _so long_ since he'd had his mother's cooking; about… fourteen years give or take. Regardless Chris knew for a fact that the food wasn't for him; Piper would never cook for him.

In truth, he decided that it didn't matter; it's not as though his body would know what to do with the food anyway. Ever since he'd come to the past his diet had consisted almost solely on water and what he could scrounge from the dumpsters at the local fast food joints. Even before that though he'd been living off of next to nothing.

When his mother was alive Chris had eaten like a king. Once his mother had passed Chris had eaten the scraps from the leftovers that he snatched off of the plates he cleaned. After Wyatt took over he lived off of dumpsters while trying to find someplace to survive. When he started the resistance they had managed to come up with a somewhat reliable source of food from their own gardens. Still the food was sparse and he often found himself giving his share away to the little kids who looked at him with big, pleading eyes (it didn't matter that Chris was no older than twelve himself).

Chris' stomach clenched again and pulled him from his thoughts. He sighed and slouched back against the netting of the playpen. Maybe pissing Piper off hadn't been such a good idea.

He wasn't really sure why he'd done it. Probably had something to do with the fact that the woman was wonderful at getting under his skin and he always felt the need to repay the favor.

Stupid - yes.

Worth it - definitely.

Well… it had seemed to be worth it at the time. Now… he wasn't so sure. His watch beeped, reminding Chris that he had somewhere to be.

"Hey!" he called. As usual no one came. They'd been ignoring him and he knew it was Piper's doing. He'd just had to piss off the current matriarch of the Halliwell line.

Chris felt like a child. Like he was three again and put in time out for having thrown a toy at his older sister. As a child the only way his mother would have let him out was if he apologized. He had a feeling that the same would hold true with this Piper. The catch? He'd never apologize to this Piper.

Sitting here Chris was faced with two choices. He could either apologize to _Piper_ or he could… call Leo. Either way he needed to choose one because he was already running late for a meeting. It was either apologize to an egotistical, power hungry woman or call a man who hated him.

Still, Leo was at least honest with his feelings towards Chris from the very beginning. If he called Leo all he'd have to deal with would be a few bruises and then he could be on his way.

Taking a deep, calming, breath Chris did something he never dreamed he'd do. He called Leo for help.

"Leo?" It was soft, hesitant and barely understandable but still the man came. He actually showed up. Chris just didn't understand his parents very much.

Leo had heard the soft call and was curious so he came immediately. Chris never called him so Leo thought the boy had to be pretty desperate. Imagine his surprise when he orbed into the sunroom to find Chris sitting in the playpen.

"What the hell are you doing?" Leo demanded his curiosity quickly turning into rage.

Chris quickly stood up and bowed his head a little to show submission. It was a pose that _his_ Leo had always wanted to see and right now Chris thought it might be the best tactic. "I'm stuck in here"

"Stuck?" Leo asked unbelievingly.

"Yeah." Chris hesitated. "I can't get out."

Piper had heard Leo from the kitchen and hurried over to the sunroom only coming in a minute after his arrival. "What are you doing here?"

Leo turned to Piper, "He called for me"

Piper turned to Chris and raised an eyebrow, "He did, did he?"

Leo became confused once again. "He says he's stuck in there."

"Oh please" Paige sighed, joining the conversation "It's not as though it's difficult to get out of that thing. I don't see why he's keeping up this ruse."

"What ruse!" Chris demanded to know, "I can't get out of this thing. I've tried everything I know of"

"You're seriously trying to get us to believe that you're _trapped_ in a _playpen_ meant for a _toddle_ r?" Piper asked incredulously.

"Even orbing?" Leo threw in.

"Yes!" Chris exclaimed. Did they really not believe him? Why else would he still be in this bloody thing? "And I'm running late for a meeting so it you don't mind…" Chris was interrupted by Wyatt orbing into the playpen next to his feet.

"Wyatt" Leo said, happy to see his son but a little concerned that the boy just orbed in next to Chris.

Wyatt looked up at his father and smiled before orbing into the man's arms.

"Unbelievable" Chris said. Of _course_ Wyatt could get out of this thing and yet he – the adult – was trapped.

"I thought you said you couldn't orb out?" Leo asked skeptically as he held Wyatt in his arms.

"I can't" Chris responded through gritted teeth.

"Well then how come Wyatt could?" Piper asked.

"Yeah," Paige chimed in, "If Wyatt can orb out why can't…"

Chris turned to Paige curiously as the woman stared at him with wide, shocked, eyes. "What?"

"The spell" Paige whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**WOW! That was a heck of a lot of response to my last chapter. So here's a new one a day or so early. Thank you for all your comments they are always appreciated. If there is something you would like to see in this fic just message me and I will see if it works. I will always respond to every private message however not to every comment. I find it tiresome and annoying when writers have half the chapter as responses to those who've commented.**

 **Lastly, I had two ideas for Chris revelation. This is one of them. The other was if Leo and Chris had gone a bit too far in the time portal and ended up in Chris' future and Leo learns the truth before they can travel back. If anyone wants to write it they're welcome to do so.**

 **Thank you and enjoy.**

"What spell?" Leo asked confused.

"The spell that Piper placed on the playpen to keep Wyatt from orbing out" Paige explained.

"You did what!" Chris exclaimed. Why the hell would Piper do something like that? His mother had always been so insistent that there was nothing wrong with being magical and he should be proud of his powers. Then again this Piper wasn't his mother.

"Yes only it didn't work" Piper said.

"Are you sure?" Paige asked. There was something niggling at the back of her mind telling her to look a little further here.

Piper pointed to Wyatt in Leo's arms. "He just orbed into and then out of his playpen. I think it's safe to say that the spell didn't work."

"What spell didn't work?" Phoebe asked coming into the sunroom.

"The one I used to keep Wyatt in his playpen." Piper explained.

"Oh yeah," Phoebe nodded, "We were supposed to help you rewrite that weren't we?"

"That had been the plan" Piper agreed, "four months ago"

"Funny how time flies" Phoebe said.

"Yeah, funny" Paige said trying to steer the conversation back to point. "But are you sure it didn't work?"

"What makes you think it worked?" Leo questioned.

"Chris" Paige stated, gesturing to the boy still standing in the playpen.

Chris didn't like where this conversation was going. He didn't have anything concrete to make him uneasy just a feeling and he'd learned to trust those feelings over the years. "Look, I really need to get going so if someone would _please_ let me out."

Piper turned to Chris and held a finger to her lips "Shush."

Chris glared at her but bit his tongue. He had already butted heads with Piper on this once and it had lead to another two hours stuck in this infernal playpen. This time he would stay quiet.

"Even if it did work it wouldn't have worked on Chris" Piper argued.

"Why not?" Phoebe asked.

"Because I specifically stated Wyatt in the spell." Piper answered.

"Did you?" Paige wondered, "I don't recall you saying his name"

"Yeah," Phoebe agreed, "I don't think you said 'Wyatt'"

"Are you sure?" Piper asked. She could have sworn she specified her baby boy in the spell.

"Do you have it written down somewhere?" Leo asked.

"Um…" Piper left the room for just a moment and hurried back with a crumpled up piece of paper in her hands. "Here it is."

All three sisters and Leo crowded together to read the paper knowing how dangerous reading a spell out loud could be.

 _Let this mother have some joy; Do not let escape her baby boy_

 _Until family lets him out; Keep him safe and not about_

"What's it say?" Chris asked. He was nervous.

For Paige the clues were starting to fall into place like pieces of a puzzle. All those times that Chris had moved around the manner as though he was always meant to be there. All the times that Chris had known where things were when he shouldn't. How Chris had known that those three blondes were imposters _in all my life I've never seen you take the bait like those witches took it from you._ It all made sense.

Paige turned to take a good look at Chris. The boy looked so familiar but how? Looking around the room Paige noticed that Piper's features were strikingly similar to that of the one now trapped in the playpen. Still… something was off about Chris' face.

"What?" Chris asked irritated. Why was Paige staring at him? What did the spell say? He just couldn't make himself believe that this would all end well for him.

It was then, when Chris looked at her with those eyes that the final puzzle piece fell into place. Chris had Leo's eyes. Chris was Piper and Leo's son. Piper's baby boy. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Why didn't he tell us what?" Piper asked finally noticing that Paige was no longer reading the spell.

"He's your baby boy" Paige answered.

"I'm sorry?" Piper questioned looking at Paige as though she'd just grown two heads.

"Care to explain?" Phoebe requested.

"The spell didn't work on Wyatt because…" Paige started

"Are you insane?!" Chris cut in. He had to shut Paige up.

"Quiet you" Piper ordered.

"No!" Chris said incredulously.

"Let's just take this into the kitchen" Phoebe suggested.

"NO!" Chris called. He was ignored though and he watched in dismay as the sisters and Leo all turned away and headed into the kitchen. Leaving him alone in the playpen. FOR THE THIRD TIME!

"Alright spill" Piper demanded as she took a seat at the table.

All of them could hear Chris calling for them from the sunroom but it was muted and they choose to ignore it.

Paige sighed, she didn't think Piper or Leo would like this given their current feelings about Chris. "As I was saying. The spell didn't work on Wyatt because he isn't your baby boy"

"He's my baby and he's a boy" Piper stated plainly, "Exactly how isn't he my baby boy?"

"Because he's not your youngest boy" Paige answered simply.

"Do you know something that I don't?" Piper asked. "Because I don't remember having another kid."

"You haven't" Paige agreed, "Yet."

"What does that…" Piper trailed off. She was starting to get an inkling of where this was headed. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me"


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright. Someone asked how many siblings were between Chris and Wyatt. I know this came a couple chapters ago but I just became able to read my reviews two days ago so here's the answer. There's one sister between Chris and Wyatt. They also have five cousins - you'll have to wait and see if they're boys or girls.**

 **Any other questions please let me know. I will try to answer some here but can't garuntee all of them. As I have said before if you truly want an answer private message me. I will always answer every private message personally.**

Piper sat stunned. What Paige was suggesting was impossible. There was no possible way that Chris was her… well, her… It just wasn't possible. She would have _known_. She would have felt it. She would always know her children, always.

And she would never treat one of her own children the way she'd treated Chris, especially not her baby.

Still though, there was something prodding at the forefront of her mind to give this idea proper consideration. It did make some sense. Maybe she should talk to Chris herself? Piper was aware that there were irritated voices going off all around her but she was too focused on her current mission.

Chris shot his head up when he sensed Piper enter the room. She was looking at him strangely, contemplatively, and it made him nervous. "Piper?"

Piper was taking a good long look at the whitelighter currently sitting in the playpen, looking to see if there were any similarities. He had brown hair, a little lighter than hers. He had her chin, her nose, her ears, her mouth, her face. When his eyes shot up she noticed that there was one thing that he didn't get from her. He had Leo's eyes.

She heard the question but choose to ignore it at the moment. This was her son. This was her baby boy. This was the boy who she had treated like crap. She had yelled at him, kicked him out, sent him into a wall!

No! No Chris wasn't hers. He couldn't be hers. She would never do those types of things to her own son!

Not only that she wouldn't let her child, her baby, to go gallivanting around the underworld 24/7. No, her son would be clean, well fed, happy, adjusted, and uninjured. Chris was not. Therefore Chris was not hers, couldn't be hers.

"You want proof then fine!" Paige said stomping into the room, "I'll give you proof."

"Proof of what?" Piper asked turning to see her sisters, ex husband and Wyatt coming into the room.

She held her arms out to take Wyatt. Yes, Wyatt, he was her baby boy. Not Chris. It couldn't be Chris.

"Paige says she can prove to us that Chris is our son" Leo explained.

"I can, I just need to call Daryl." Paige snapped picking up the phone.

"Are you all crazy!" Chris demanded jumping up. How the hell had things gotten this out of hand? How did everything get so screwed up? Oh yeah, his moronic brother decided to orb out of his playpen. Wasn't it lovely how _he_ always got punished for the things his older brother did.

Piper turned to Chris and brought her finger to her lips, "Shush" and then brought her attention back to her sisters, "Why are we calling Daryl?"

Chris bit his lip and glared at Piper. This was not how he wanted this day to go but what the hell could he do? Paige's words did nothing to encourage him.

"Because the spell says that only family can let him out" Paige explained.

"We consider Daryl family though" Phoebe cut in.

Paige paused in her phone conversation, "Would the spell know that?"

"Possibly" Leo said.

"Fine." Paige hung up the phone, "Then who do _you_ suggest we ask?"

Leo paused, he knew his suggestion wouldn't be taken well, "We could ask one of the other elders" Six brown eyes and two green eyes glared at Leo. "Unless you have a better idea?"

It was Phoebe who broke first. "Fine! If it will solve this argument then call an elder."

Leo nodded, "Adrian" he called towards the ceiling.

Blue and white lights appeared in the form of a older man appeared. He had salt and pepper hair, a slight beard and looked to be about six feet in height. "Blessed be"

Chris and Piper snorted. They both hated that stupid greeting.

"And you question of those two are related?" Paige said.

"We're not" Chris ground out. And it was the truth. They weren't related… yet. Probably never if he succeeded in changing the future for if his plan worked there'd be almost no chance of him being conceived.

"We need you to get Chris out of the playpen" Phoebe explained wanting to rush this along. She didn't want an elder in the house anymore than her older sister did.

Adrian turned to Chris confused, "Why can't you just step out?"

"I've tried" Chris grit out.

"Orb?"

"I can't" Chris snapped.

"Will you just pick him up" Piper demanded.

"Piper" Leo said slightly scolding.

Piper glared to Leo, "This was your idea not mine."

Leo sighed and turned to Adrian, "We're just testing a theory and were hoping you can get Chris out of there"

"Very well" Adrian sighed. He had always heard that the charmed ones were strange witches.

Chris watched as Adrian stepped towards him. He wanted nothing to do with the elder but he wanted out of this bloody playpen. He took a deep, calming breath and walked towards the edge of the playpen.

Adrian moved to pick Chris up but the second his hands were about to cross the boundary of the playpen he was violently thrown back.

Everyone in the room froze.

"You're my baby" Piper eventually whispered.

Adrian wasn't family and Adrian hadn't been able to get Chris out of the playpen.

"Not so fast" Phoebe stepped in, "We still haven't established that family can take him out of there either. Leo?"

Leo knew the answer already but was willing to help. Chris had been in that playpen a long time. He stepped forward and held his arms out. Chris made to take his hands but Leo was quicker and picked up a stunned Chris from under his arms, seamlessly lifting him out of the playpen. It disturbed Leo how easy that had been.

The second Chris' feet hit the ground he backed away from Leo and orbed out. He couldn't deal with this right now. Besides he was extremely late for his meeting.


	6. Chapter 6

**I know this is short. It's meant to be. I needed to get to the next part and this was the quickest way I knew how.**

The bright lights of her baby's orbing shook Piper out of her shocked stupor. "Where the hell did he go?" She demanded.

Leo immediately closed his eyes and tried to sense for his youngest. "I can't sense him."

"What?" Piper demanded "Why not!"

Leo hesitated to answer. There was truly only one good reason why he shouldn't be able to sense his son, "Well he could be blocking me…"

"Can you fully block an elder?" Paige asked.

"Not completely, at least Chris shouldn't be able to" Leo admitted.

"Then why can't you sense him?" Piper bit out impatiently.

Leo grimaced, "He's most likely in the underworld"

"WHAT!" Piper exclaimed. "Get him back here now!"

Phoebe, Paige and Leo were all cringing at the pitch in Piper's voice and Wyatt was screaming. The poor little boy had never heard his mother sound so upset, angry, distressed.

"Piper" Paige hedged, "I think you should calm down."

Piper turned to her youngest sister in disbelief, "Are you crazy! How am I supposed to calm down when my baby is in the underworld?!"

"Well it's not as though he hasn't been down there before" Phoebe tried to placate.

Piper glared at her sisters. "Whether he has been down there before or not is irrelevant. He is my baby and he is down there alone! In the underworld!"

"I'll go and find him" Leo offered.

"Hold it!" Phoebe screamed. She waited until she had everyone's undivided attention before continuing. "As I was saying before. Chris has been down to the underworld almost every single day since he's been back" She held up her finger to stave off an interruption from Piper, "and just because you now know that he's your son does not mean that he will take kindly to you interfering"

"If you two try to control him you'll never see him again." Agreed Paige. "Especially given the way we've all been treating him."

Leo and Piper looked at each other completely ashamed. They had treated their son horribly. Paige and Phoebe made good points.

"Can you follow him without his knowing?" Piper asked.

Leo nodded and orbed out immediately.


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright. Sorry it's taken so long but I had finals and projects. School comes first.**

 **So someone asked me how old Chris is because Leo picked him up so easily. I think I may have misrepresented that. Chris is twenty in the story. It's not that Leo picked him up easily it's just that Chris was a lot lighter than someone his age should be. Leo, having been a doctor before he died would be aware that his son shouldn't be as light as he was is concerned.**

Six days. Leo had been following his youngest for six days. And he was highly disturbed at what he'd seen.

It took two days for Leo to find his son. First he tried looking around the underworld but he hadn't been able to locate the boy. Eventually he'd admitted defeat and waited in the one place he knew Chris would turn up eventually. The back room of P3.

When Chris finally showed up he had been chewing on a couple of fries – Leo had been slightly comforted by that thinking that the boy had been smart enough to obtain a meal. Chris had popped the last fry in his mouth before grabbing a change of clothes, a washcloth and a bar of soap and heading into the bathroom. The door had been shut and Leo hadn't wanted to intrude on his son's privacy so he'd waited by the desk.

An hour later a clean Chris came out of the bathroom empty handed. Curious, Leo peered into the bathroom and saw Chris' clothes hanging from a wire the boy had strung across the tiny room. It was then that Leo realized that there was no shower. Had Chris bathed from the sink?

He had then stayed in the back room just watching his son. He continued to watch his son for the next six days.

From what Leo could tell his son was a busy person.

Chris had spent fifteen hours straight sorting through books and other materials the kid had obviously brought with him or created on his own. After that he'd grabbed a drink of water and then spent three and a half days in the underworld where he vanquished seven demons – not all of which were lower level. Eventually the kid had orbed back to P3 for another shower and then crashed face first onto the old lumpy couch.

Leo had been disturbed already and hadn't thought his concern for the boy could possibly get any worse than it had. That was until he'd heard his son scream.

Chris had screamed bloody murder. Leo had never heard anything more heart wrenching in his life. The boy's screams could have made the source feel sympathy. And it had lasted. It had lasted for seven and a half agonizing minutes. It lasted until Chris had fallen off the couch and shot to his feet in fear.

Once Chris was awake and aware of his surroundings the boy had changed and gone back to the underworld. He didn't resurface again for two days.

When Chris resurfaced again the boy was weak. Leo could see it, he'd been watching the kid fight and it had grown more sluggish as time passed. Leo was fairly certain the only reason Chris was above ground was because he needed to regain some energy.

Leo followed his son to the local mall. He was surprised when they orbed not in the mall itself but behind the area where the food court was located. Much to Leo's horror he watched as his youngest son opened the lid of the nearest dumpster and started rooting around.

This was how his son was eating? No wonder the boy had felt so light when he'd taken Chris out of the playpen.

Not being able to stomach the idea of seeing his son eat whatever was dug out of the dumpster Leo stepped forward and took hold of the boy.

Chris jumped when he felt his arm grasped. Instantly he took hold of his mysterious attacker and flipped them. Unfortunately that didn't stop him and the 'attacker' from being orbed to the last place in the world Chris wanted to be right now.

"Chris!" Piper exclaimed.

One minute she'd been setting Wyatt in his playpen and the next Chris was standing in the sunroom slamming Leo into the floor.

The last place Chris wanted was to be anywhere near his family. So he made to orb out. He didn't make it.

Leo had seen the look on Chris' face and knew what the boy was planning to do. He couldn't allow his son, his baby, to leave. The poor boy was slowly killing himself. Making a split-second decision Leo orbed Chris into the playpen next to Wyatt. And then cringed at the reaction he knew he'd be receiving.

Sure enough the second Chris realized where he was he started screaming. Threatening Leo with quite a few colorful possibilities. It was shocking and disturbing to hear some of the things Chris could threaten him with. He knew though that whatever Chris was suggesting, the kid had experienced or at least seen himself.

Piper felt overwhelmed and disgusted. Where did her child hear of those types of torture? How the hell did her child know about _any_ type of torture?

Not knowing what to do she signaled Wyatt to come to her and then walked to the kitchen knowing Leo would follow.

"What is going on?" she demanded the second they were safely in the kitchen.

Leo sighed, "I'm sorry I was gone for so long…"

"Eight days Leo!"

"I know. I know. It took me two days to find him."

"And…"

Leo closed his eyes and paused for a moment, collecting himself. This was hard for him to see and it would be even harder for him to say out loud. Still, it had to be done. So, for the next two hours he filled Piper in on everything he had witnessed over the past six days while Chris was safely tucked away in the playpen.

When everything was said and done Piper just sat there stunned for a little while. She desperately wanted nothing more than to keep Chris tucked away in the house, in her sight, for the next fifty years. The words of her sister kept ringing through her head though. Phoebe had been right, trying to control Chris the boy would vanish and they'd never see him again. It's not like it is with a child, the police won't help her find a twenty-year old who didn't want to be told what to do.

That got her thinking. No one would help her find a twenty-year old but they might help her find a five-year old.

"To keep my youngest safe from harm. Let him be five and full of charm. So that this mother may have piece of mind, keep him young until the truth we find"

There was a high pitched sound and a bright light that came from the sunroom before everything went silent.

"Piper what did you just do?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chris looked around and did his best to start hyperventilating. Mr. Leo didn't like it when he showed weakness. He couldn't get out. He tried orbing and telekinesis but neither worked. He didn't dare try to blast a hole in the side knowing it would go over badly when someone else saw it.

The strangest part was that he didn't even remember how he became trapped in this thing. Had he been unconscious? He didn't think so, he was standing when the bright flash suddenly covered his eyes. Not only that but he could have sworn that he'd been in the underworld just seconds before.

Before Chris could get himself as under control as he'd liked Mr. Leo and his mother came barreling into the room.

Piper froze when she saw Chris. He was adorable! He was the cutest five year old she'd seen. Only, he was a little small for five – was that healthy. She waved that thought off though because she knew that Chris grew up to be taller than her.

Leo looked at his son in awe. He looked so small, so fragile. "Hey buddy" he smiled. Kneeling down by the playpen.

"I'm sorry" Chris blurted out. He didn't know what was going on but knew that if he was trapped someplace then it was because he was in trouble and Mr. Leo didn't want him squirming away from whatever pain was about to be inflicted upon him.

Leo and Piper shared confused looks. "What are you sorry for baby?" Piper asked crouching next to her husband.

Chris didn't know. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong.

He ran through the day in his head. He'd woken up early and gone upstairs to help his mother make breakfast. Then Mom and given him two pancakes before taking the food out to the rest of the family. He had eaten and then done the dishes.

Mr. Coop, Mr. Henry, Mrs. Paige, Mrs. Phoebe, and the cousins had all come over to spend the day together. Mr. Leo, Melinda, Wyatt and Mom were also in the kitchen. The whole family would be hanging around the manor today and while Chris loved to spend time with Wyatt and Mom he desperately tried to avoid the rest of them.

After he'd finished the dishes he'd orbed upstairs and made the beds and grabbed the laundry. Once his chores were finished he had decided to spend the day out of the house. No one ever minded, well Mom did but she knew it was safer for him. Wyatt didn't mind so long as Chris called him if things became too dangerous – Chris knew better than to call him though, Mr. Leo was more dangerous than any demon and he didn't like Chris to bother Wyatt.

As soon as everything was clean and he'd said a spell that changed the color of his orbs to black Chris orbed down to his favorite place – the underworld.

He had been told very firmly that he wasn't aloud to wonder around the human world because small children on their own tended to draw attention. The underworld never cared however.

Chris had spent the rest of the day down in the underworld with his friends. They were dark lighter children with some demons thrown in. He already knew seven different demon languages and he was learning ten more. He was rather proud of himself.

Thinking it over Chris couldn't find anything he'd done wrong. He followed all the rules. Made sure to complete his chores before he left. He had stayed in the underworld and not gotten into trouble or bothered Wyatt.

"I don't know." He eventually admitted.

"Well that's alright buddy. " Leo tried to assure. He didn't know what was bothering his son but Chris seemed tense. "You haven't done anything"

Chris chanced a look at Mr. Leo, "Then why…" No, he shouldn't. Asking questions always got him into trouble.

"Why what sweetie?" Piper asked patiently. Chris was acting so strangely.

Chris opened and closed his mouth a few times, debating with himself. Eventually he just had to know. "Why am I trapped?"

It took Piper and Leo a moment before they realized what Chris meant. After all what five year old wanted to be trapped in a playpen?

Immediately Leo plucked Chris out of the playpen and set the boy on his feet.

The instant Mr. Leo had touched him Chris had flinched. He knew he shouldn't but he just couldn't control it. Thankfully the man seemed to have missed it and for that he was thankful. The instant it was on his feet he backed up, clasped his hands behind his back and bowed his head just as he'd been taught.

Piper and Leo exchanged looks of curiosity and fear. What was Chris doing? This wasn't the neurotic twenty year old they'd come to know. This wasn't a normal five year old either. Something was wrong here and they were desperate to know what.

Leo wondered if this was what a five year old who had twenty years of memory would act like. Did Chris know that he'd been de-aged? "Chris?"

Chris showed no sign of having heard other than turning slightly to the voice that had spoken.

"Can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?" Leo asked calmly.

Chris hesitated a moment before answering, "I finished my chores and then went down so that I wouldn't get in everyone's way"

That did nothing to belay Leo or Piper's concerns.

"He sweetie," Piper said gently, kneeling in front of the boy, "Can you tell Mommy what year it is?"

Chris' head shot up, eyes wide. He was never supposed to refer to his mother as mom in front of anyone but her or Wyatt. Whenever there was someone else in the room she was Mrs. Piper. That had been a rule for as long as he could remember. Mom had been the one to tell him the rule. And she was the one who'd just broken it. Mr. Leo was going to be so mad.

Both Piper and Leo could see the fear in Chris' face. Something Piper had just said had scared the boy. Or was it merely seeing someone so close to him? That might be it.

Leo placed a hand on Piper's shoulder and guided her back seeing Chris release a small breath. "Do you know the year?" he asked wanting to keep things calm and curious himself.

"2023"


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Crazy, crazy life. I received a question as to why Chris said it was 2023 if he was five. Remember that I did say Chris was a lot younger than Wyatt in this story, the youngest of all his siblings and cousins. Chris was born when Wyatt was fifteen. As for the story behind Chris' behavior along with that of Leo and Piper and the rest of the family, you'll just have to wait and see. I will give you a hint - Chris and Wyatt are the only males out of their siblings and cousins. Enjoy.**

Leo and Piper paused, doing the math. If it was 2023 for Chris then that meant Wyatt would be… 20? That was quite the age gap.

Just to be certain Leo had to ask. "And exactly how old are you buddy?" If Chris was surprised by the question he didn't show it.

Chris knew that the best way to answer Mr. Leo was with quick and accurate responses. "Five years and ten days"

"Ten days?" Leo asked. That was oddly specific.

"Yes." Chris said. "Today is May 29 and my birthday is May 19 so, ten days."

Piper and Leo sharked a look. Their son's birthday was ten days ago and they'd missed it. They'd not only missed it they'd let the boy spend the day in the underworld. What kind of parents did that?

Chris could see that his mother and Mr. Leo were upset about something. He didn't want to get into trouble so he tried to think of some way to get out of there. "Do you need me for something?"

"What?" Leo asked confused. What five year old asked that?

"No, honey" Piper assured.

Chris tensed. He stole a side-glance at Mr. Leo but the man didn't seem anymore on edge than he did before so Chris just plowed forward. "If you don't need anything then may I go down?"

"Down?" Leo asked nervously. Oh please let it not be what he was thinking. Please.

"Yes." Chris answered hesitantly, "Down"

"And just where would you go, exactly?" Piper asked. She like her husband was just hoping that her guess was wrong.

Chris knew better than to answer that he was going to see his friends – he wasn't allowed friends, especially not dark lighters and demons. "To the open areas to work on my quota"

Piper did not like this conversation. She didn't like the things that her son, her five year old son, was implying. Looking over at Leo she could tell that he was equally disturbed. What kind of parents were they? Obviously not good ones.

"Chris," Leo started, "I need you to answer a few questions for me. No work arounds just answers. Can you do that?"

Chris gulped, this type of conversation never went well. Last time Mr. Leo had started a conversation like that it had ended with Chris having seven broken bones. Thankfully Wyatt had checked up on him later that evening and healed him. Too nervous to speak just then Chris merely shook his head in the positive.

"Good boy" Leo praised. He didn't miss the way Chris' eyes grew wide with shock for all of a second before the boy shut down again. A five year old should not know how to shut down their emotions like that. "Now, what did you mean by down?"

"The underworld." Chris answered quickly.

"And what is the quota?"

"The amount of demons I am to kill in a week for various privileges."

Leo took a deep, calming breath before continuing. "List them."

"Two demons and I get to sleep in the basement, five demons and I get food once a day, seven for twice a day and nine for two and a snack, four demons for showers every other day and six for every day."

"And where are you now?" Leo chocked out.

"It's a new week, I've only killed four demons so far. But I swear I'll pick it up." Chris promised. He didn't mean to be so behind. "I've made enough for a bed for the week and am working on the showers" he always choose food last because his mother slipped him food whenever they were in the kitchen cooking anyways. He loved his mother.

All right, showers, food and a bed were not privileges. Piper and Leo both felt disgusted. It was no wonder that Chris was so neurotic; they'd done it to the kid.

There were two options facing the parents at the moment. They could either despise themselves while they interrogate the little boy in front of them or they could end this and feed the obviously starved kid. They could then berate themselves later, when Chris wasn't there to witness it.

Collecting herself Piper turned to smile at her little boy, "Alright sweetie," again the boy tensed, "What do you say to some dinner?"

Chris perked up at that, he loved helping his mother fix supper. "I'd be happy to help fix supper Ms. Piper" and with that Chris turned and headed for the kitchen.

Piper and Leo were stunned.

"Did he just call you…"

"Yeah" Piper answered. "Leo, what did we do to that boy?"

"You mean what did the future us do to that boy?"

"The future us are still us Leo" Piper corrected.

Without waiting for a response she headed to the kitchen after her son.


	10. Chapter 10

**Holy Crap. 16 comments in less than two days. Seriously that's more response than I ever thought I'd get. Well, here's a relatively long chapter.**

 **I know the hint I gave about Chris and Wyatt being the only boys wasn't very clear, hopefully this chapter will help clear that up. Can't give you anymore than that. Any questions though and just ask. I'll try to answer what I can here but if you truly want a quick response private message me and you'll get a response in 24 hours or less. Thank you.**

When Piper walked into the kitchen she found her son standing next to the counter waiting for her. She smiled at the small boy and was happy to see him smile back.

"What do you think we should make for dinner?"

"Spaghetti serves a lot of people"

Piper cocked her head a little, "How many people are we feeding?"

"With everyone, thirteen"

"Everyone?" Piper asked.

"Yes. Mrs. Paige, Mrs. Phoebe, Mr. Coop and Mr. Henry, Mr. Leo, You, Wyatt, Melinda, Prudence, Penelope, Peyton, Patricia, and Pearle"

Piper understood then, Chris meant his aunts, uncles, cousins, sibling – siblings? And parents. "Well, everyone's headed out to dinner, it'll just be you, me and… Mr. Leo"

"Oh, well…" was that why he had been trapped in that contraption? Because Mr. Leo wanted him to help make a special supper for a date night? "What about Cornish game hens, potatoes au gratin and steamed asparagus? Maybe with a chocolate cake for desert? Mr. Leo would like that"

Piper took all that in. Chris had just listed Leo's favorite meal. "If that's what you want"

Nodding his head Chris started moving around the kitchen getting out the needed pots and pans. Piper took Chris' ability to move around so easily as a sign that she never rearranged the kitchen – that was probably for the best. As Chris got out the items from below Piper got out the items from the cabinets.

"Mom?"

Piper froze while her heart pounded happily. "Yes, sweetie?"

"Why did Mr. Leo trap me in that… thing? Why not just call for me?"

OK. Not what she'd been expecting, but he had called her mom and not Mrs. Piper so she'd take it. "It was an accident, a demon attacked and he'd wanted to keep you safe so he put you in the playpen"

Chris scrunched up his face in confusion. When a demon attacked he was bait. Maybe that was it, the playpen kept him from getting out so the demon would come for him and the others could get out. That had to be it. Well, better something happen to him that his mother or Wyatt.

Chris was about to say something again when Mr. Leo walked into the room. Instantly he clamped his mouth shut and assumed his usual pose – head bowed and hands clasped behind his back.

Leo stopped in the doorway and watched his youngest. Why did the boy do that? What had his future self done to cause the boy to do that? "Hey buddy"

Chris looked up hesitantly at Mr. Leo's cheerful tone. He couldn't help himself, he had to ask, "Mr. Leo… is there something you needed?"

Leo didn't miss the way he had been addressed, "No bud. Why?"

"Well then… Well, it's just that… you're not usually in the kitchen"

Piper took the hint there. "Why don't you go and relax while Chris and I fix dinner?" She had loved that Chris was calmer before Leo stepped into the kitchen and was starting to get the feeling that this was the safe zone.

"Right" Leo nodded. He hated this feeling, that his own son wanted nothing to do with him. And it hurt that Piper had asked him to leave but he could take a hint as well so he left.

"Did Wy say something to Mr. Leo?" Chris asked after the door was fully shut.

"Not that I know of" Piper answered placing the last ingredient on the counter, "Why do you ask?"

Chris just shook his head and reached for the chicken to start washing it.

Piper waited for a verbal response but none came. She turned to look at her son and nearly dropped the bowl in her hands. "Chris!"

Chris froze in what he was doing and turned to look at his mother. "Yes?"

Piper was stunned. Chris was at the sink, washing the chicken. The catch? He wasn't using a step stool, he was floating in the air, well, hovering. "N… nothing"

Chris just shrugged and finished with the chicken. Piper watched as the boy picked up the bowl with the clean chicken and floated over to the island counter. So Chris had been hiding the power of levitation. Was that his only power or was there more? Based on what Leo said Chris also had telekinesis and molecular combustion. Was that the whole list? Was there more?

"So Wy said nothing to Mr. Leo?"

"I don't think so honey"

"Then why is he being so nice to me?"

"He just loves you baby. Why wouldn't he be nice?"

Chris just shook his head. Sometimes his mother got like that, where he wanted everyone to be one big happy family.

"Chris?" Piper prodded.

Chris sighed, "He doesn't love me. No one does. Boys are bad"

"Boys aren't bad baby. Just look at Wyatt, everyone loves him."

"No, they just know better than to go against him. He's more powerful than they are. I'm not that powerful so they can punish me."

'What does being a boy have to do with anything?" Piper asked thoroughly concerned.

Chris shot his mother a confused look, "Because this is a generation of boys"

Piper was too confused to even respond. By the time she came back to herself Chris was fully immersed in prepping the stuffing for the Cornish game hens.

The two worked in companionable silence for about an hour. Piper was letting Chris make the first move. So long as the boy was safe and next to her then they could take their time.

It wasn't until the food was cooking and they were cleaning the dishes that they'd made that Christ started a conversation.

"A new kid joined the group today."

"Oh? What's his name?"

"Berol"

"That's an unusual name"

"Not really. Well not for a sea-trow"

Piper froze. "Berol is a… demon?"

"Well yeah," Chris answered, "Not everyone in the group is dark lighters. There are some demons to. I thought you knew that?"

So this group was from the underworld. Wonderful. "I'm sorry baby, I just forgot for a second."

Chris just shrugged again and put away the last dish.

"How many of you are there, in your group"

"Ten now. We finally have even teams for slash tag again."

"Oh. Slash tag?"

Chris nodded his head enthusiastically, "Yup, I'm really good at it. I only got slashed three times today. Jinx got slashed fifteen times."

Piper didn't like the sound of that. "Are you hurt?"

"No" Chris scoffed. "It was just a few slashes. No biggie."

Piper thought that was a large 'biggie' but bit her tongue. From the way Chris was talking this was a typical conversation for the two of them. She despised this fact but let it alone lest the boy stop talking. She just stood in silence for a few minutes while Chris lowered himself to the ground.

"Something bad happened today though" Chris said ten minutes later.

"Bad?" Piper asked concerned.

"Yeah," Chris nodded, "I stopped a room of four demons"

"Stopped?"

"Well… like what you do" Chris elaborated.

"You mean you froze them?"

"Yeah, froze."

Another power! How many did this kid have? "Wow"

"I'm sorry" Chris apologized.

"No baby" Piper assured, "There is nothing to be sorry about"

"But that's too many powers" Chris said.

"No…" Piper started.

"Yes" Chris insisted, "Levitation, comb..comustion, telek.. telekan.. telekanosis, cloaking, and now frozeing. That's five."

"There's nothing wrong with that. It's amazing." Five powers! The boy was going to be as powerful as Wyatt!

"No, none of the others have five"

"Others?"

"Melinda, Prudence, Patience, Patricia, Penelope and Pearle"

His cousins. They were the ones without five powers a piece. Although Melinda was the name she and Leo were going to use for their daughter. Did Chris have a sister?

"So your cousins aren't as powerful, Wyatt is" She tired to assure.

Chris shook his head "Not cousins or Melinda. None of the girls"

Ok. Melinda was a sister. "Well, they might grow into more powers."

Chris shook his head no again, "Melinda is 19, Prudence is 16, Patience and Patricia are 14, Penelope is 15 and Pearle is 12. I'm five and I have more than any of them. Everyone's going to be so mad"

Piper was trying to peace this together but it just wasn't adding up. So the girls weren't as powerful as Chris or Wyatt, so what? Why was Chris scared? Before she could ask anything the oven timer went off and Chris closed himself off again. Any traces of fear vanished from the boy's face. Piper sighed and helped the boy.


	11. Chapter 11

Piper watched in stunned silence as Chris pulled the plates out and started gathering the cutlery. Eventually she was taken out of her silent musings when her baby walked past her, brushing her side a bit.

By the time Chris came back in for cups Piper had the food out of the oven and was moving towards the dining room with it.

Chris set the table and then walked to the living room where he could sense Mr. Leo. As soon as he walked into the room Mr. Leo turned to face him, smiling. Why was Mr. Leo smiling? Didn't matter.

Assuming his typical position Chris spoke clearly, "Supper's ready"

Leo had been happy to see his son enter but it hurt when he was forced to look at Chris' bowed head rather than the boy's face. Still, Chris had said something and it was only polite to reply. "Thanks buddy, I'll be right in."

Chris nodded his head in acceptance and went back to the safety of the kitchen as fast as he could.

Piper put the last piece of food on the table and sat down next to Leo, waiting for her son. Chris had only grabbed two place settings so Piper assumed that the boy was merely in the kitchen grabbing a third.

"You have to turn him back" Leo stated breaking Piper out of her silent musings.

Piper shook her head, "No, he's doing well like this."

"Do you really believe that?"

"He's not fighting being in the house"

"He's not happy"

"He wasn't happy before either" Piper snapped.

Leo sighed, "Piper. This can't continue. Chris is nervous, scared, and acting as though he's a servant rather than a member of the family."

"I wouldn't say…" Piper tried. It didn't work, no matter how she tried to swing it in her mind. Eventually she sighed and slumped back in her seat, "He's not leaving. He's here and safe and I can't take him being out of my sight right now."

Leo nodded; he'd figured that was part of it. "He does leave though. He goes to the underworld and vanquishes demons. I'd prefer he be twenty not five if that's what he's going to be doing"

"I'd prefer that he not go to the underworld at all" Piper hissed.

"I can take away his orbing" Leo offered. It wasn't ideal but he could do it.

"If you can do that then why didn't you before?" Piper demanded.

"Because if he were to be attacked he could be vulnerable."

Piper scoffed, "He has five other powers already, I doubt that he'd be vulnerable"

"Five other powers?" Leo asked in shock. "You mean at twenty?"

"No, I mean at five"

"Wow, that's powerful"

"Yeah. And he apologized for it" Piper shook her head, recalling that conversation, "He said it was too many"

"How is that too many? Can he not control them?"

"No, it's too many because he has more than his sister or cousins"

Leo's head snapped up, "Sister?"

"Yeah. Sister." Piper nodded.

"Wow" Leo sat back in his chair taking in the fact that he'd have a daughter.

"Apparently he and Wyatt are the only boys" Piper said.

"And they're the most powerful" Leo stated.

"Yeah," Piper narrowed her eyes, "Apparently it's the 'age of boys'"

"I wondered about that" Leo admitted.

"Care to explain?"

It was stated as a question but it was a demand. Leo was smart enough to know that. "I'll explain once Chris is twenty again."

Piper sighed but admitted defeat. "He's so much more open at five though" she tried one last time.

"He's a slave at five"

Leo hated himself for saying it but it was the truth and there was no getting around that.

"Fine. I'll change him back." Piper agreed, "But I have a few stipulations."

"Which are?"

"You take away his ability to orb. I won't have my son down in the underworld at all hours."

Leo nodded his acceptance. "What else?"

"Chris moves into the manor."

"I already collected his things from P3 while you two were cooking and placed them in the spare room."

"No, the nursery"

"He's twenty Piper."

"There's a monitor in the nursery Leo" Piper argued.

"Again he's twenty. We don't need to keep a monitor in his room."

"That boy is a master at sneaking around I want some way to even the playing field."

Leo opened his mouth to argue but Piper cut him off, "This is not up for debate Leo. Either he moves into the nursery or he stays five."

"Fine" Leo sighed, "He can sleep on the day bed in the nursery but you're the one whose going to tell him."

"Agreed."

"Any other conditions?"

"Not at the moment" Piper said, "But I retain the right to add to my list at a later date"

Leo gave in knowing that Piper would add conditions later regardless of what he said. "Turn him back now"

Piper sat there thinking over a spell that would accomplish turning Chris back to a twenty year old while Leo went to the kitchen to collect the boy.

Chris was nervous as he walked into the dining room behind Mr. Leo. Had he done something wrong? Was Mr. Leo going to punish him in front of his mother? Was it a punishment for something he'd done or something his mother had done? Chris desperately wished he knew the answer.

Not being able to help himself Chris stole a glance up at his mother. She didn't look happy; she looked nervous. Maybe this was a punishment for something she did. Mr. Leo did that sometimes. Punished him in front of his mother to get her to agree to something. It usually worked. His mother always caved after one or two hits if it even got to that point. The woman was too soft sometimes.

Leo hated himself for what he was about to do but knew it was the only way. He nodded his head to Piper before lifting his hand.

Piper swallowed and smiled at Chris before starting the spell. _"From a mother's fear a mistake was made. Return a twenty year son with eyes of jade."_

Lights surrounded the five year old before quickly fading. The instant the lights faded Leo pulled the ability to orb from his youngest.

"What the hell is going on!"


	12. Chapter 12

**So, this is an extremely long chapter. Sorry, just couldn't find a good place to stop and got a bit carried away. So, this chapter mentions the 'age of boys' a few times. I know some people have been asking what that is. I promise you'll find out in the next chapter. My question to you is, what do you think the 'age of boys' is? Just curious. As always if you have questions just ask I'll do my best to answer.**

 **Enjoy**

Piper looked to Leo hesitantly, hoping he'd know what to say to answer the question because she didn't particularly want to. She had dozens of questions of her own she'd like to ask but she had no desire to answer any.

Leo understood what his wife was trying to say and sighed. Well, here goes nothing "We are sitting down to dinner"

"Not what I meant" Chris bit out, "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Leo asked.

"You trapping me in the playpen. Again."

Leo nodded, "Well, that was a few hours ago –"

"I can see that" Chris cut in. "What I want to know is what's happened in the past few hours because I don't remember"

"You helped your mother cook dinner and set the table," Leo answered.

Chris narrowed his eyes, "What else?"

"I turned you into a five year old" Piper blurt out. There she'd done it. Now they could move on.

"You what!"

Or not.

"I turned you into a five year old" Piper repeated.

"Why would you do that?" Chris asked.

"Because I thought it would help. Because I thought it would be easier to keep you safe and happy. Because I thought you would open up more, talk more" Piper answered.

Chris scoffed. "Oh, I'm sure I talked. Just as I'm sure you didn't like what you heard."

"No I didn't" Piper admitted. "But I'm glad I heard it."

"Unbelievable" Chris shook his head.

Deciding that she had waited long enough to ask her own questions and had even answered Chris' already Piper sat down and gestured for Chris and Leo to do the same.

Leo followed his wife's lead and sat down at his spot at the table. Chris however attempted to orb out.

He didn't succeed.

Chris growled at Leo, "Give it back"

"Sit down and eat Chris" Leo answered calmly.

"Give it back" Chris demanded.

"You're not going to be getting your orbing back anytime soon so I suggest you just sit down and eat your dinner" Piper replied.

Chris glared at her. This was ridiculous! Not only was he _never_ to sit at the table – 'the help doesn't sit at the table' - but also he wasn't going to put up with Piper's crazy power trip. "No"

"This is not up for debate Christopher." Piper stated, "You are far too skinny, you need to eat."

"I'm fine" Chris replied.

"You're skin and bones" Piper retorted.

"I'm fine"

"You're not fine Chris" Leo stated calmly, "You're slowly killing yourself"

Chris gave a harsh laugh, "I've already done that genius. What's it matter if it happens a little sooner than planned?"

Piper and Leo froze. Did Chris just say? No. But it did sound like he had.

Leo bolted out of his chair and started running his hand over Chris, golden glow coming out strong. Piper was right behind her husband checking Chris over herself.

Chris, for his part, was trying to pry his parents off of him. It was two against one. Chris lost.

"Get away from me!"

"Where are you hurt?" Leo asked trying to heal every bruise or scrape he could find.

"What's happened? Were you poisoned? Did you get cut?" Piper questioned. "It'll be alright. You're Daddy's going to heal you. You'll be fine"

Chris eventually grew tired of Piper and Leo's hovering and screamed. At the same time he telekinetically pushed his parents away from him. Piper landed softly in a chair while Leo was shoved up against a wall.

He'd just spent two days straight in the underworld. He'd come up only to try and dig some food out of a dumpster and catch a couple hours of sleep before going back down because he had almost no energy left. He'd spent the past few hours doing who knows what as a five year old. And he'd just used the last of his energy to push his parents away from him.

Piper and Leo watched in horrified silence as their youngest son fell to the floor.

"CHRIS!" rang through his head from two different points in the room. He heard footsteps pounding towards him and flinched when he felt a hand on his head.

"It's alright buddy," Leo assured, "I'm just seeing if you have a fever."

"I'm fine" Chris slurred out as he attempted to push himself away.

Piper sighed, rolling her eyes before she took ahold of the hem of Chris' shirt and pulled it up over the boy's limp arms.

"Hey" Chris complained. There was little he could actually do about his mother's interference other than utter a few weak arguments.

"Leo" Piper gasped, taking a good look at her son's exposed torso.

There were dozens of wounds that littered Chris' body. Leo was healing them as fast as he could but it just seemed to be making things worse. Underneath the current injuries were over a hundred scars that stood out on the skin that was wrapped around the bones with nothing in-between. It was horrifying.

While he was still weak, Leo's healing seemed to bring back enough strength for him to get up off the floor. There wasn't enough strength to remain standing however so Chris found himself gracelessly falling into a table chair.

"Don't suppose you'd be willing to give me my shirt back?"

"Chris" Piper whispered.

Leo stood swallowing down the bile that kept trying to rise out of his stomach. No one should ever have that many scars, be that starved, that mutilated. It should never happen. And yet it had, to his own son.

Piper moved towards her son holding a hand over the boy's back. She gently placed the tip of her finger on a long scar running from the top of Chris' left shoulder blade to the top of his left thigh that ran over at least twenty other scars on it's way down. She just wanted to place her hand there and feel smooth skin, to know that it was just her imagination that was conjuring up this horrific image. It wasn't.

"My baby" Piper sobbed wrapping her arms around her son and crying.

Chris was highly uncomfortable. No one had ever held him like this before. Sure his mother had hugged him but those had always been light quick things done in secret. Wyatt had hugged him and held him but never cried on him. Maybe it was a woman thing, the crying. Would make sense. Wyatt never cried, Leo wasn't crying and Chris never cried. It had to be a woman thing. Still, it was uncomfortable.

"Piper" Chris hedged.

Piper could feel how tense her son was, she didn't want to scare the boy. Carefully she pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes, collecting herself. She needed to think of her son first, she could cry later.

She offered her son a tight smile before grabbing an empty plate and loading it up. Once the plate was full she put it in front of her son along with some silverware and a glass. After she'd finished she sat down herself and turned her chair to face her son.

Leo sat opposite his wife and faced Chris as well. He wanted to see the boy, know that his son was alive and safe, for the moment at least.

Chris kept darting his eyes between Piper, Leo and the food in front of him. He didn't know what was going on exactly only that he was being set up for something.

Piper was the one to break the silence.

"Are there any more injuries that we don't know about?"

Chris debated ignoring her but knew that would only lead to being patted down for injuries again. He was tempted to say 'I'm fine' again however he feared that it would lead to being stripped of his pants in an attempt to see for themselves. Eventually he sighed and answered honestly, "I cut my left leg yesterday but it's stopped bleeding and is healing fine."

Leo kneeled down and held his hand over Chris' leg until he could feel that the wound was closed. Finished there he ran his hand over Chris' other leg before he felt satisfied that there was nothing left and sat back down.

"Good." Piper nodded, "Now. What did you mean when you said you had already killed yourself?"

Chris gulped. He knew that tone of voice and it had never bode well for him in the past. Or future? His past, their future? Never mind.

"I meant that I killed myself the moment I stepped through the portal to get here."

"How would that guarantee your death?" Leo asked confused.

Chris rolled his eyes, were they really this dense? "Either I die failing to save Wyatt from whatever turns him or I succeed and am never born. Either way, I'm dead"

"Why would you never be born?" Leo asked though it was almost drowned out by Piper's screech "What do you mean you die trying to save Wyatt!?"

"I'll do everything in my power to save Wyatt. The only way I won't succeed is if I'm dead" Chris stated firmly. "It's the reason I came back. The whole point of this mission."

"I don't care what the point of the mission is Christopher" Piper said firmly, "You are not going to get yourself killed. I am not losing one son just to save the other"

Chris laughed that laugh again. The one full of hurt and pain and so many other emotions that Leo didn't even want to identify. "Saving Wyatt kills me Piper. The only way you get to have us both is by letting Wyatt be turned."

"No" Piper commanded as though merely saying it would make it true.

"Yes" Chris replied.

"Why?" This came from Leo.

Chris turned to Leo, "If Wyatt's not turned, I'm not conceived."

"Why?" Leo repeated.

"Do you really think that you and Piper planned on having another child fourteen years after your last one or seven years after the others had stopped having children?"

Leo had been wondering about that, so had Piper. "What does that have to do with Wyatt turning evil?"

Chris shrugged, "Because he was evil he had no trouble slipping you and Piper lust potions"

"Why would he do that?" Piper asked.

"He wanted a brother" Chris answered, "He got what he wanted."

"What's so important about a brother?" Piper wondered.

It was Leo who answered this question, "Because it's the age of boys"

"Yep" Chris nodded.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Piper asked, "What is the age of boys?"

Leo watched Chris sway a bit on his chair and knew that this conversation needed to be tabled for the time being. He could explain what the age of boys was to Piper after Chris had been fed, cleaned and put to bed.

"The food's going to get cold if we don't eat it soon" Leo said cutting off the conversation and silently motioning for Piper to do the same.

Piper sighed but had to agree with Leo, Chris needed to eat. "I'll just grab an extra plate from the kitchen."

Chris however had no intentions of eating and attempted to push back from the table. He couldn't. When he tried to do so he found that he was held down with the same force that kept him trapped in the playpen. "You put the spell on the table!"

"What?" Piper asked coming back into the room.

"You put the same spell on the table that you did on the playpen" Chris explained in irritation.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that" Piper admitted.

"Why?"

"Because Wyatt kept orbing our plates away or orbing the food he wanted to his high chair tray and the food he didn't to someone else's plate" Piper explained irritated. "Just have to love that power don't you?"

Leo chuckled but didn't comment. Piper wasn't a big fan of orbing at the moment as it was, best not to add fuel to the fire.

"Well undo it" Chris demanded.

"No" Piper replied, "Now eat your supper."

"No" Chris said.

"Chris" Leo started, "The quickest way for you to get out of that chair is to eat the food on the plate."

Chris couldn't believe these two. Instead of picking up a fork he attempted to blast the table to pieces. He shouldn't have.

Leo sighed as he watched Chris drop unconscious. "Let's put him to bed"

Piper shook her head but agreed and placed her hand on Leo's arm as they orbed up to the nursery.

An hour and a half later and Chris was tucked safely in bed in some of Leo's old nightclothes and wiped down as best as could be. The dishes were cleaned up and leftovers put away both parents having lost their appetites at the sight of their youngest's tortured body.

"Now" Piper said sitting down on the couch next to her husband, "What is the age of boys?"


	13. Chapter 13

Leo sighed as he sat down next to his wife. He had suspected this might happen when Wyatt was born but he'd hoped it had all been a myth. So much for hope. "The age of boys is just what it sounds like"

"That doesn't even make any sense" Piper snapped.

"It was rumored that in every generation of Warren witches that the gender of the first born would dictate the stronger gender."

"I don't remember hearing anything about that"

"Well it was always just a rumor among the earlier generations. The elders and whitelighter's have heard it but there's never been any proof" Leo said.

"How could there never be any proof?" Piper asked confused.

Leo chuckled, "Because there's never been a male born to a warren witch before Wyatt"

"Seriously?" Piper asked in shock, "How could there never have been a boy before Wyatt and what does that have to do with proving the age of boy's theory?"

"Alright, one question at a time" Leo started. "First, it has always been females in the warren line. Never once was a male born thus no one could ever test the theory. Second, It's not that the theory is all about males, it's about strength."

Leo could see the confusion in Piper's eyes so he tried to clarify, "As the oldest of your generation you are the strongest correct?"

"Yes"

"But all of your generation are female correct?"

"Yes"

"All of your sisters are also more powerful than the average witch are they not?"

"Yes" Piper answered starting to get annoyed.

"Great. Now lets say that there had been a younger brother. According to the power theory the brother would be the weakest one among you because he was a male"

"So males are the weaker gender?" Piper asked.

"No"

"Well then I don't get it Leo"

"The first born child of the generation dictates the stronger gender. Up until this point it has always been female. Every child has always been female. The theory was never able to be tested."

"Until now" Piper said starting to understand.

"Correct" Leo nodded, "In this generation the first born child was a male. Thus, in theory, the most powerful gender in this generation would be the males. You said that five year old Chris had five powers."

"Yes, he said he had levitation, combustion, freezing, cloaking, and telekinesis. Also he can orb."

"So six powers"

Piper nodded, "He also said that it was too many powers. None of the others were that powerful"

It was Leo's turn to be confused, "Others?"

"Melinda, Prudence, Patience, Patricia, Penelope and Pearle all have less powers than Chris"

"Is Melinda ours?" Leo smiled.

Piper smiled too, "Yeah, I think so."

Leo nodded before getting back on track. "When Wyatt was born I thought that it might be a test on the theory however then there were all those prophecies about the twice blessed and I thought that the theory was all a hoax."

"Until Chris" Piper concluded.

"Until Chris. It proves the theory. Every other generation has been a generation of girls however this generation is the generation of boys. But there is something I don't understand."

"What is it?" Piper asked.

"If Chris is treated so bad because it's the generation of boys then why does it sound as though Wyatt is treated as a member of the family?"

"Because Wyatt is more powerful than anybody else thus we all know better than to go against him" Piper said in realization.

"I take it Chris told you this?"

"Yes. When he said that boys were bad."

Leo sighed, "We were afraid of how powerful Wyatt was and, if Chris is right about him being evil, how dangerous Wyatt was. When another boy came along I'm willing to bet we all freaked."

"So we treated him as a servant?" Piper asked in disgust.

"We screwed up."

"We have to fix this." Piper stated.

"And we will" Leo agreed, "But right now we need to get Wyatt and get him to bed and then go to bed ourselves because I have a feeling that tomorrow were going to be in for one hell of a fight."


	14. Chapter 14

He groaned and rolled over. He had every intention to merely roll off the couch and get up to do his stretches and morning workout. What he rolled into instead was something solid. Was that a wall?

He sighed and started to roll over the other way when he woke up enough o realize that whatever he was laying on was really soft. What was he on? Nothing should be this soft, at least nothing he'd ever felt before had been this soft. It was like floating on a cloud.

Green eyes snapped open.

Chris was up in the blink of an eye, looking around at his surroundings. He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized where he was and that he was not in fact dead. Once all of this sunk in however he was pissed.

How dare they! They had no right to shrink him, trap him at the table and then, what; put him in the nursery? What the hell was going through Piper's mind? Why had Leo gone along with it? Chris didn't understand.

Regardless, it didn't matter. He wasn't going to stick around any longer anyway. He was leaving.

Just as soon as he got his orbing power back.

He hated Leo.

Deciding to see if there was a spell in the book that might help with his predicament Chris made his way to the door. He was almost at the door when it swung open and he found himself face-to-face with a smiling Piper.

"Good morning" Piper greeted stepping into the room, happy to see her son awake. She had been checking on the monitor every five minutes to see when Chris would wake up. Leo had told her that they would know when Chris woke up, he'd be able to 'sense it' – look how well that turned out.

Chris sighed and chose not to respond. Instead he slid past Piper and made a beeline for the open door. He let out a scream of frustration when he found himself being pushed back into the room again by an invisible barrier.

Wyatt was jolted awake by the noise and started screaming himself fully letting everyone know that he did **not** appreciate being woke up in such a manner.

Piper immediately picked Wyatt up and started bouncing the unhappy baby on her hip while simultaneously turning to Chris and calling for her husband. Two upset children equaled two parents.

"Chris, you need to calm down honey. Screaming isn't going to get you what you want" Piper chastised gently.

Chris couldn't believe what was going on. Was he in some sort of warped dream? Was this a different reality? Had he just completely lost it? All three scenarios were completely plausible. His dreams weren't exactly paradise; he'd had plenty of truly disturbing ones before. He'd also been to a different reality before but that was just a couple of times and only because one of his friends had the ability to open portals to any reality they wanted to – Wyatt had vanquished that friend two days before Chris turned five.

As far as losing it went, it was possible he supposed. Would he know if he'd lost it? Would he realize that he'd gone stark raving crazy or would he just think it was normal? He wasn't sure. There were tons of people, witches, demons, magical creatures and dark lighters alike who had all suggested that he'd gone crazy at one time or another. Maybe they were onto something? Or maybe it was them that were the crazy ones? He didn't know and frankly when you've led the kind of life he has – did it really matter? He was stable enough to focus on his mission, what else did he need?

He needed to leave this room, this manor, and these people. He needed his orbing back. That's what he needed.

"What's wrong?" Leo queried as he orbed into the room next to his wife.

Piper quirked an irritated eyebrow at her husband, "You'd be able to _sense_ when he woke up huh?"

Looking over at the bed and then following his wife's gaze towards the door the resident elder gulped in slight concern before offering a sheepish grin and half shrug, "He must be blocking me"

"Well fix it then" Piper demanded.

Chris was tired of this conversation. "LET ME OUT!"

That got the attention of both parents. And caused little Wyatt to start crying again.

"Chris" Piper admonished, "What did I just say about screaming."

"Just relax Chris" Leo tried taking a different approach. He'd noticed that little Chris hadn't liked being trapped, had acted as though it were a threat, it wouldn't be a surprise if adult Chris felt the same way. "The spell was designed to protect you not harm you."

Chris scoffed, "If it were to protect me none of you would be able to touch me"

Piper's breath hitched but she also knew that in many ways it was a true statement. Chris didn't have pleasant memories of family; he had memories of pain, naturally the boy wouldn't see protection being the same thing as locked in a room with parents.

"The spell lets us touch you because none of us have any malicious intent towards you and we are your family." Leo explained.

Chris glared at the man and shook his head. Leo never did think that he was hurting Chris just 'helping him to be a better person'. It was all a load of bull. Instead of responding he merely turned and started pounding at the force field that was keeping him trapped in this room hoping to break it out of sheer determination.

Piper handed Wyatt off to Leo and stepped towards her son knowing full well that she would be the only adult the boy was even remotely likely to allow near him at the moment. "Chris"

Chris ignored her.

She brought her hand up to push his arm down, "Chris"

Chris jumped back at the contact unused to physical touch.

Piper sighed sadly but continued on knowing that she needed to talk to her youngest calmly not emotionally. "Baby, you're not going to get out without either your father or I taking you by the hand and leading you out"

Chris instantly grabbed for her hand and pulled the two of them out the room. As soon as they were in the hallway he dropped his hold of her and bolted for the attic stairs.

Piper just shook her head and took Wyatt back from Leo, "Bring him down when he's done screaming please?"

Leo scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion, "You're not going to stop hi…"

The rest of Leo's question was cut off by another scream of frustration followed by a "SERIOUSLY!?"

"I put it on last night" Piper said in way of explanation.

Leo shook his head in understanding and then watched his wife take their first born down the stairs to the kitchen. Shaking his head in resignation Leo made his way towards his youngest son who was currently pounding on the attic door. It was going to be a long morning.


	15. Chapter 15

Chris eventually ran out of steam and slumped back against the attic door in defeat. He couldn't believe that they'd done this but at the same time had to admit that his mother was capable of showing who's in charge if he was twenty.

"Hey" Leo said hesitantly as he sat down next to his youngest, oldest? Oldest youngest? Chris was twenty and yet negative fourteen all at the same time. Let's go with youngest.

Chris scowled up at Leo, "Give it back"

Leo sighed, "Chris, you know that you're not getting your orbing back until both your mother and I decide that we can trust you with it"

"Are you kidding me?!" Chris said indignantly, "Who the hell gave the two of you the right to decide whether or not I can be 'trusted' with any of _my own_ powers!"

"We're your parents and we want what's best for you."

Chris' only reply was to roll his eyes and scoff. Like Leo ever cared what was best for him. Like any of them did. Well… Mom and Wyatt did but one was dead and the other was the evil overlord so they were both a mute point.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Leo tried to get things going in the right direction. "Why don't we head down and see what your mother's prepared for breakfast?"

"I've got a better idea," Chris countered, "You give me back my orbing and then I'll get out of your hair and you can go eat with Piper and Wyatt"

"No Chris" Leo replied, "You need to eat"

"No I don't I need to complete my mission"

"And your mother and I wish to help you do that but first we need to make sure that you're alright"

"I'm fine. Wyatt's the one in trouble. Wyatt's the one who needs your protection and concern"

"You're both my sons and you both need my protection and concern" Leo corrected.

Chris shook his head, "I don't need anyone, least of all you"

The words stung, Leo could admit that. But this wasn't about him right now this was about Chris. Realizing that demanding anything out of Chris wasn't going to get him anywhere Leo tried a different tactic, "You came up for a reason"

"What?"

"You came up from the underworld for a reason"

"So?" Chris shrugged.

"So, what was it?"

Chris paused. Why had he come above? He'd been fighting and he'd started to feel a little dizzy and a slight headache coming on... He scowled at Leo. "Why I came up is unimportant"

"No, it's not Chris" Leo corrected. "You came up because you were starving and sleep deprived and thus you were finding yourself on the losing end of a battle. You got out of that last fight purely by chance"

Chris' eyes widened in surprise and understanding "You were following me!"

"I wanted to know you were alright. That you knew what you were doing" Leo admitted, "What I learned instead was that it's a miracle you're still alive."

"I've been taking care of myself for a long time Leo. I know what I'm doing"

"You came back here on a suicide mission and have been treating yourself as though you were expendable"

"Because I am"

Leo froze in pain and horror. "No Chris, you aren't expendable"

"Well you've sure changed your tune" A third voice spoke.

Leo and Chris shot up to face the new arrival standing in the attic doorway. Leo was confused as to who the new comer was but Chris wasn't. In one strangled gasp Chris uttered something Leo never wanted to hear said in such a way.

"Hello Wyatt"


	16. Chapter 16

Wyatt had been working on finishing off the last shreds of the rebellion when he'd felt it. He never thought he'd feel such a thing again – not until he'd finally captured his little brother and insisted that the boy lower his shields.

It was strange too, the way it felt. The bond was so strong and so open. The last time he'd felt the bond this open was when Chris was a mere child and still had complete faith in his big brother. It had been such a wonderful feeling.

The instant the bond went away Wyatt had tried everything he could to get it back, he missed it; he needed it. In a fit of rage he released a burst of energy that destroyed everything within a twenty-mile radius. Coincidentally, this left a glaring beacon as to where the last of the resistance were hiding (only building left standing amongst the rubble).

With his enemies taken care of Wyatt now had ample time to devote to finding his little brother and even better he now had a place to start looking. The bond not only told Wyatt that Chris was still out there but also when Chris was.

He made sure that the space he had created for his little brother was ready; secured and escape proof. Wyatt didn't want Chris leaving the second the older one turned his back. For years Wyatt had tried to get his little brother off the streets, out of the underworld and safely tucked away in the castle. Stupid boy just wouldn't stop fighting him.

It wasn't Chris' fault though. Wyatt knew better than to blame his baby brother. It was the fault of his 'family'. Thankfully Wyatt has already dealt with the remnants of the family. All that was left now was him and Chris.

Smiling to himself Wyatt locked down his quarters and opened a portal. He would be gone only a short time and he wouldn't be coming back alone.

Chris was in a state of shock. First Piper and Leo had gone mental and were keeping him hostage and now Wyatt was here. Not the baby Wyatt of this time but the big, evil overlord Wyatt from his own time.

"You're Wyatt?" Leo asked stunned.

Wyatt snorted, "Now, why would you ever think that?"

"Cut the crap Wyatt" Chris said, rolling his eyes. He loathed the idea of fighting Wyatt; he hoped to merely annoy the man to go away. It never worked but was always fun to try.

"You, little boy, can just stay quiet" Wyatt replied, "The adults are talking"

Chris glowered at his brother, "I'm not a child Wyatt"

"Right…" Wyatt drawled out as he took a half step closer to his little brother, "Of course you're not a child, you just enjoy acting like one"

Leo was confused, what was Wyatt doing in the past? "How did you get here?"

"That's none of your business Leo" Wyatt snapped, "It's irrelevant anyway. I'll be leaving soon"

Chris jerked back as Wyatt made a lunge for him. Leo, see what was happening reacted on instinct.

Wyatt watched in irritation as Chris vanished in a flurry of blue orbs. He was about to accuse his little brother of being a coward when he heard an infuriated scream come from the first floor.

Chris couldn't believe Leo! Why had the man trapped him in this bloody playpen? For a third time! He wasn't a toddler, he didn't belong in a playpen!

"Chris?" Piper asked confused. She had heard her son's scream and had come to investigate, "Why did Leo put you in the playpen again?"

"Because he's an asshole" Chris replied.

"Now, now Christopher" Wyatt admonished as he appeared in a stream of black orbs, "You know you're too young to use that type of language."

"Screw you" was all Chris had to say in reply.

Wyatt was confused. Why was Chris standing in a playpen? Why had Leo put him there? What was going on?

"Chris!" Leo sighed as he barreled down the stairs and saw his youngest safely tucked away in the playpen.

"You moron!" Chris exclaimed as he caught sight of Leo.

"What is going on?" Wyatt asked.

"That impassible trapped me in this damn thing" Chris explained pointing an accusing finger at Leo.

"I put you there to keep you safe" Leo defended himself.

"How the hell am I safe if I can't defend myself?" Chris demanded to know.

"Because he" Leo paused to indicate Wyatt, "Can't get you"

"And why wouldn't I be able to get my little brother out of a playpen?" Wyatt asked thoroughly confused.

"Because anyone or anything who wishes him harm cannot cross the barrier" Leo explained smugly.

Wyatt smirked, "That's a brilliant idea"

"No it's not" Chris insisted.

"And why is this all so wonderful to you?" Leo inquired slightly nervous. Had he screwed up?

"Because I am one of the only two people in the world who has never wished my little brother harm" Wyatt replied as he moved towards the playpen to get his little brother and head home.

Just as Wyatt was about to take hold of Chris someone yelled out.

"What the hell is going on here and who are you?!"

Everyone turned and stared at the one person in the entire world that would cause Wyatt, the ruler of the world, to stop what he was doing and stare in awe.

There, having just stepped out of the shadow of the doorway was the one person he never thought he'd see alive again. His mother.


	17. Chapter 17

Wyatt stared at his mother. This was one aspect he hadn't planned on occurring during his short jaunt to the past. Stupid really, he should have known that if he came into the house that he would have to deal with his mother. The woman did live here after all.

Over the course of his life there were only two people that Wyatt ever really, well, liked. Chris and his mother.

His mother was the one who took care of him and never turned on him while the others did. Everyone else in the family tolerated his presence and didn't try and control him after they'd learned how he liked to use his powers. Wyatt proved too powerful for control, of course, so his family tolerated him with tight smiles and curt nods. All except for his mother who refused to turn her back on either of her sons. It truly hurt both boys when she was killed.

Chris took the opportunity of Wyatt's stunned silence to try and get his way out of the playpen. As silently as possible he moved to the edge and tired to signal Leo. Despite wanting nothing to do with the man Chris needed out of the playpen and he had to have Leo's help to do so. He'd ask Piper only she was the one thing that was occupying Wyatt at the moment.

Leo saw Chris' signal out of the corner of his eyes. He knew what the boy wanted but at the same time he was nervous to let his son out. Chris out of the playpen would either try and leave the house or take on Wyatt. Either option wasn't appealing. Still, leaving Chris in the playpen could possibly allow Wyatt access to his younger brother. Also not appealing.

The catch was that Leo was certain Chris would choose one of two options outside of the playpen and only questioning if the spell would allow Wyatt access to Chris. Over all the only certainty were bad options.

Chris would be staying where he was.

Chris scowled as he saw Leo nod his head in the negative. How could the man be so dense? Didn't matter. His time was up.

Wyatt came out of his shocked stupor the second he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Chris was trying to escape. That could not be allowed to happen. "Don't even think about it Christopher"

"Who are you?" Piper questioned before Chris could respond.

Smirking, Wyatt turned to his mother, "You don't recognize me mom?"

"Wyatt?"

"In the flesh"

Piper couldn't believe it. Her son, her adult son was standing in front of her dressed in all black with long-ish golden blond hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to bring my little brother home" Wyatt replied.

"I'm not going anywhere with you" Chris hissed.

Wyatt tutted, "Now, now, Chris. What happened to the little boy who used to love spending time with me?"

"He grew up to realize that his older brother was a cold blooded killer"

Wyatt sighed. He'd had this conversation with Chris a few times. It hurt him to know that the little boy that he had helped to create disliked the way he dealt with things. Honestly with all that he had done for his brother one would think that Chris would be grateful.

Wyatt was the one to slip Piper and Leo the lust potions so that they would conceive another child. He was the one who gave Leo a bit extra to try and encourage a boy. He was the one who was there for Chris' first sonogram where they found out that the baby was a boy. He was the one there for every following doctor's appointments. He was even the one to cut the umbilical chord seeing as how Leo had stayed away from everything the second they learned that Chris was going to be a boy.

Wyatt was the one who had helped to take care of Chris as a baby. He had changed diapers and given baths; fed bottles and rocked to sleep. He was the one who healed up injuries (though Chris soon stopped informing his big brother of anything serious much to said brother's annoyance). He was the one who made sure Chris ate something after their mother had passed away. And he was the one who murdered their family for the way they treated Chris on the younger's sixth birthday – exactly one year after their mother's death.

And what is the thanks that Wyatt gets for all his hard work? His little brother running away and starting the resistance. It wasn't Chris' fault though. The poor boy hadn't been the same since his fifth birthday. Damn, that had been horrific.

"Look," Piper tried to step in, "I don't know what's going on between you two but I do know that you are not taking Chris anywhere."

"I'm taking him with me and he is going to be safe" Wyatt replied.

"He already is safe" Piper said.

Wyatt scoffed, "Safe? That boy is a stick. How is that safe? Does he still spend his days in the underworld? Would you call that safe? No, he's coming with me where I know he'll be safe"

With that Wyatt tried to reach into the playpen to collect his little brother. To his great surprise he was hurled backwards.

"Wyatt!"


	18. Chapter 18

The first thing that came to his mind was, that hurt. Very little hurt him these days. Being the strongest person in the world and having a personal force field could do that for a person.

The second thing that came to mind was that he'd been hurtled backwards, away from his baby brother, by a protection spell. His brother did **not** need to be protected from him.

"Wyatt!" Chris screamed.

Wyatt looked up and saw his little brother pushing against an invisible barrier, clearly trying to get out.

"Wyatt!"

That was Chris again.

"Are you alright?"

Now that was his mother. That was strange. His mother hadn't sounded that concerned for him in a while. No one had been that concerned for him in a while (other than Chris naturally, just listen to the boy now). Then again, his mother had been dead for fourteen years now.

"WYATT!"

"I'm fine" Wyatt finally grit out, "Just relax"

That seemed to be enough to get his mother to step back a couple of feet and his brother to stop screaming. Well… Chris stopped screaming his name – and started screaming to be let out.

Everyone seemed content to ignore the one currently screaming his lungs out. Everyone that is except for the two year old who decided to orb into the playpen.

"Wyatt!" Leo called out as he watched a small blue bundle of orbs appear at Chris' feet.

"Yes!" Chris cheered. While he couldn't get out of here and big Wyatt couldn't touch him little Wyatt should be able to get him out.

He took hold of little Wyatt's hand, "Wyatt, let's go play in the living room"

"NO!" Piper was quick to shout.

She hurried over to the playpen thankful that at least one of her sons saw fit to listen to her. As she reached in to take Wyatt out Chris took hold of her arm and started stepping over as well.

He would have made it to, if Leo hadn't grabbed him from behind and pulled him back into the playpen.

"LET ME OUT!"

"You're safest where you are" Leo informed his youngest.

"Are you all insane?!" Chris screamed.

He was sick of this! Ever since they'd found out who he was Piper and Leo had been going crazy. Why? Leo never gave a crap about him before, why now? And Piper. What was with her? And why the hell was Wyatt here? Well… big Wyatt.

"Chris just calm down…" Leo tried to placate.

"NO!" Chris interrupted, "I'm not going to calm down. You all don't get the right to tell me to calm down. None of you have the right to tell me to do anything!"

He could see Piper and Wyatt about to interrupt but didn't give them the chance. "Don't even. This is my time to talk. I don't need either of you trying to 'protect' me. I don't need protection. I'm fine with going down to the underworld. I've been doing it daily since I was four. That's where all of my friends were, everyone I used to spend time with. I know the underworld better than I do this one. I've been on my own since I was six, though let's be honest, I was pretty much alone before that."

He paused to catch a breath but didn't let anyone cut in. He didn't want anyone cutting in. "Leo beat me constantly, Piper kept trying to pretend like we were all some normal family, Wyatt was busy with his own life though I will admit out of everyone he was the one person who actually stopped to make sure I was still breathing at the end of each day"

Wyatt smiled smugly to himself. He knew he'd been the main caretaker but it was good to see that his little brother did too. Unfortunately that did not end the boy's rant. Honestly why did Chris think that all of this would convince him that the boy knew how to take care of himself? It was doing just the opposite.

"I moved out of the manor at six. I started the resistance at eight. I've spent eleven years fighting against demons and evil, getting tortured for information -"

Wyatt growled at that. Who the hell thought that they could torture his baby brother?

"- kept strung up in prison cells while I watched my friends tortured and killed in front of me. I fought off a trained assassin, turned her even, fell in love with her, got engaged and then watched her killed right in front of me. I have been in the past for a year, been down in the underworld daily, killed over a hundred demons and yet here you all are thinking you're going to control me. Well news flash. I DON'T NEED YOU!"


	19. Chapter 19

**Merry Christmas All**

Wyatt was growling as he heard his little brother mimic the same words that he'd told the kid. When he'd said those words originally he'd been hurt and upset that his little brother had chosen to go back to the past. Bianca hadn't been helping matters, as it was clear that the woman was a bad influence. Well, Wyatt wasn't going to let his little brother be influenced by such a traitor again. No, his little brother needed him.

Piper felt sick. She had never thought that her son's life had been that bad. How had she let that happen? Although from the sounds of it she didn't think that she was alive past the time Chris was six. She would never allow one of her children to move out of the house at the age of six if she were alive. Clearly Chris needed her now more than ever.

Leo never wanted to hear anything like that come out of his son's mouth again. No matter how scared his future self might have been of Chris turning evil the boy couldn't have been older than six years old. What possible justification could his future self have given to make abusing a child, a mere toddler? It was sickening.

Wyatt was the first to break the silence. The man gave out a low, dark, chuckle. "Baby brother. I don't know what you had intended to accomplish with that little speech of yours but I do know that once we get back to the future you're never leaving your room without myself and six body guards."

Chris paled. Everyone was looking at him with hurt, pitiful eyes. That was never his intention. All he wanted was for Wyatt to go back to the future, Piper and Leo to leave him alone and, most of all, out of this playpen! It didn't seem as if that would be happening anytime soon.

Sighing Chris slouched back. "I'm not going back with you Wyatt"

"You don't have a choice"

"You can't get me out of this infernal thing so you can't drag me back."

Wyatt opened his mouth to respond but Piper beat him to it.

"It repelled you Wyatt" she said gently.

Wyatt froze. Piper, unfortunately, had a point. "I'll just take him back in the playpen"

"And how were you planning on getting me out?" Chris asked, "You killed all of our family, or don't you remember?"

"They were anything but family" Wyatt snarled. "And I killed them for you"

"I never asked you to or wanted you to!"

"They were horrible to you! They tortured you!"

"That doesn't give you the right to kill them!"

"ENOUGH!" Piper cut in. She didn't want to hear any of this. One of her sons was tortured by his family and the other killed his family. What kind of a mother was she? How could she have let this happen?

Wyatt calmed down a little and nodded his agreement. He didn't have time for this anyway. The spell he used to get him back here was time sensitive. He had about twenty minutes left before he would be forcibly sent back. Stupid him, he hadn't thought this would be so hard.

"I think we all need to take some time to calm down" Leo said stepping in to try and get control.

"Shut up" the brothers commanded in unison.

It was the only thing both boys had agreed upon since the start of all this. Piper just had to roll her eyes. Of course they would only agree that Leo should stop talking. Neither of them seemed to have had a good relationship with the man.

Chris didn't care what Leo had to say, he never did. Shaking his head he swung his eyes over to his brother. The bigger one. He finally noticed the watch that was placed on Wyatt's wrist. Oh this was priceless!

"What you got left?" Chris taunted, "ten… twenty minutes?"

Wyatt snapped around. He hadn't expected Chris to recognize the watch but then this was his little brother they were talking about, of course the boy would recognize the watch. Stupid eidetic memory. That boy needed to find a different use for the thing.

"What?" Piper asked.

Wyatt glared but Chris merely snorted.

"How much longer have you got Wy?" Chris prodded.

"Long enough" Wyatt growled.

That wasn't necessarily true. If he couldn't get his baby brother out of the playpen in the next fifteen minutes then he would be going back to the future alone and the watch would be useless for years.

Chris smirked, he could read his brother like a book, "Cockiness had always been your weakness"

"My weakness?" Wyatt scowled, "I don't have a weakness little brother."

This was perfect for Chris. He just had to keep Wyatt talking and distracted for however long it took until the man went back to the future against his will. "Oh but Wyatt, you have so many of them"

"What the hell are you two ranting about now?" Piper demanded. Why was Chris changing topics so much? "I thought we were discussing a watch?"

Chris glared at Piper. Of course she would redirect the conversation to the one place he didn't want it to be right now.

Wyatt growled at Chris. His little brother was a good one at misdirection. "Get him out of that thing" he demanded of Piper and Leo in a cold, harsh tone he usually saved for only those he was about to torture.

Leo and Piper looked affronted that their own child would speak to them in such a way and Chris couldn't help the laugh that came out of him. How could those two be so stupid? Why would Wyatt show them any respect? Why would they look upset about it?

All heads turned to Chris when he started laughing.

"Care to share in the joke?" Wyatt asked.

"Those two were so shocked when you…" Chris had to take a moment before collecting himself enough to speak, "when you _ordered_ them to do something. Did you see their faces?"

Wyatt smirked a little, more to humor his brother than anything. "Alright. But how is that cause for laughing as hard as you are?"

Chris took a quick glance at the blue hue coming from Wyatt's watch and sobered quickly to turn and smirk at Wyatt, "It's not but it had the desired effect"

"And what effect was t…."

Wyatt never got to finish because his watch engulfed him in a dark blue and he was gone.

"Finally" Chris bit out. "And next time I start changing topics just go with it"

Piper and Leo stood frozen in shock. What had just happened?

"That watch Wyatt is wearing manipulates time. It allows someone to go backward or forward in time but only for an hour. Once you've used it you have to charge it again. Charging takes a while. A year for every year you traveled. So if you go five years then the watch has to charge five years. He'll be gone for a while, at least by way of watch."

"Oh" was the intelligent reply of Piper and Leo.

"Now" Chris clapped his hands together. "Let me out of this thing"


	20. Chapter 20

**I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. I am sorry but I am currently finishing my master's program and am working on my thesis paper. A thirty plus page paper. Yay. Anyway, I had time to finish this chapter but I can't garuntee when I'll update again but I will say that my classes end in mid may though I will have three over the summer and will be busy I will do my best to update sometime in May. Pay attention to end of chapter notes, trust me.**

Leo wanted to let Chris out of the playpen but they needed to get a few things straight first. "If I let you out you have to agree to eat breakfast"

"What?" Chris asked in disbelief.

"Your father's right" Piper agreed, ignoring the flinch that elicited from her son "you need to eat and then we need to talk"

Chris agreed that the three of them needed to talk. Things were getting way out of hand and Wyatt (big Wyatt) showing up hadn't helped anything. He also knew that no matter how much he didn't want to eat he did need to consume some type of nutrients if he was planning on continuing with his mission. That was the reason he'd originally surfaced from the underworld after all.

"Fine" Chris bit out, "But something small"

"And bland" Leo added.

"Why?" Chris and Piper asked together.

Sighing Leo answered, "Because Chris hasn't exactly eaten regularly and has been starving himself. He needs a set diet to help fix the damage he's done to his body. Something light and bland to eat will be a good start."

"Very well" Piper nodded, "Oh. I sent Wyatt with Paige to magic school" she called as she left.

Chris turned to Leo, "Are you going to let me out now?"

"Of course" Leo agreed stepping forward.

Chris hated being picked up but at least Leo did it quickly.

"You really are too light"

"I'm fine"

"Let's just go to the kitchen"

Chris nodded his assent and went into the kitchen where he found a bowl of oatmeal sitting at the table. He assumed the food was for him so picked it up and choked it down as quickly as possible. He didn't want to be stuck at the table if he could help it.

Leo and Piper watched as Chris shoveled the food in his mouth like a hungry animal. It hurt. They had done this to their own son. Well… their future selves had.

"Done" Chris stated dropping the bowl onto the table, "Now let's _talk_ "

"Very well" Leo agreed gesturing to the table as he pulled out a chair.

Chris merely snorted and stomped to the living room where he dropped down on one of the single chairs.

"Guess we're talking in the living room them" Piper sighed as she and Leo moved to join their youngest.

Once all were sitting Chris kicked things off, "Give me my orbing back and let me out of this house"

"Chris…" Leo started but Piper cut him off.

"You're not healthy Chris, and I'm not letting you out of my sight until I know you're alright and will stay that way. And you're not getting your orbing back until I can trust you with it"

"I have a mission to complete" Chris bit out.

"No mission is more important than your life" Piper replied.

"I've already given up my life" Chris exclaimed, "So what's it matter?!"

"You're my son!" Piper screamed, "Everything you do matters! And I will NOT LET YOU DIE!"

"IT'S NOT YOUR CALL!" Chris screamed back.

"YOU'RE MY SON! YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT'S MY CALL IF YOU ARE BORN OR NOT!"

"NONE OF YOU EVEN WANTED ME!" Chris shot up pacing around the room "AND IF WYATT ISN'T EVIL THEN YOU'LL NEVER HAVE ME!"

Piper felt her heart shattering; did her baby truly believe that? "I want you baby"

"We both want you" Leo came forward.

Chris just shook his head and scoffed in disgust and disbelief. He didn't believe them, why should he? All his life Leo had given him reason to believe he was never wanted. Piper wouldn't have left him if she wanted him. She wouldn't have let herself get killed. She wouldn't have tried to run off with him and gotten them both trapped in a locked room. She wouldn't have forced the water into his throat while she died to dehydration. She wouldn't have left him alone in that room with a dead body until Wyatt found him almost dead five days later.

"You don't want me" Chris sighed slumping back into the chair he'd earlier vacated, "You just want me to give you answers now. So fine, ask your questions and then let me alone"

Piper and Leo wanted nothing more than to assure their son that they wanted him. That no matter what happened in Chris' past, their future, that they loved him and would let nothing happen to him, wouldn't let the same mistakes happen again.

Despite how much they were desperate to tell their son this they knew it would only start another screaming match. Right now Chris was willing to answer questions, but how many?

"Any questions?" Leo hedged.

"Will you let me out of here before I answer any and all of your questions?" Chris queried.

"Without the use of the phrase 'future consequences?" Piper asked.

Chris looked Piper straight in the eyes and she was taken back by how haunted they were, "You won't like what you hear but if it will end this sooner then fine."

"No limit?" Leo added.

"No limit," Chris sighed sitting back in the chair and bracing himself for what he knows is a stupid idea.

"Alright then" Piper nodded, "Let's get started.

 **If you have any questions you want answers about from Chris then add them to the comments or send them to me via private messaging. I will do my best to answer every question in the next chapter though as I said at the beginning it probably won't be until the end of may. I will give you all until the end of March to ask questions that will be answered.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here is the chapter of Chris' life. Hopefully this will clear up some questions for everyone. If you sent in or posted a question I did answer it. Enjoy.**

Chris' leg was jumping up and down so fast he felt as though he was going to wear a hole in the back of his jeans, he'd done it before and it he didn't exactly have the materials to patch a hole. "Well?" he prompted when it seemed as though Leo and Piper weren't going to start.

Leo's head snapped up, "Right, questions…"

"What was your life like?" Piper asked.

Well that was vague, "Busy"

That earned him two slight glares.

"Could you be a bit more specific?" Piper snapped.

"Could you?" Chris replied.

"Why don't you start at the beginning and go through what you remember. We'll add in questions as they come?" Leo suggested.

Chris shook his head, "That's not what I agreed to"

"It will get this over with quicker" Leo reasoned.

Sighing, Chris slumped back. He supposed Leo did have a point. If he just gave the basics and allowed them to ask questions then they could do this chronologically which would save on unneeded explanations later. "Fine."

Piper and Leo tried to keep the eagerness off of their faces as they got ready to listen to Chris' life story. It was slightly exciting to learn something about their youngest and of the future.

"My earliest memories are of my mat in the basement. As long as I lived in the manor that's where I slept. I remember Wyatt being down there with me, telling me a story or Piper singing me to sleep" A slight quirk upwards to the corner of Chris' mouth was the only indication the other two occupants had that these were pleasant memories. The rest of Chris' body was a complete blank.

"What did I used to sing to you?" Piper asked. If it was something that helped her son sleep then she would sing it every night.

"The lullaby from the _Prince of Egypt_ "

"I don't?" Leo started but Piper cut him off.

"You mean the one that goes: _Hush now my baby be still love don't cry,_

 _Sleep as you're rocked by the stream,_

 _Sleep and remember my last lullaby,_

 _So I'll be with you when you dream._

 _River, oh river, flow gently for me,_

 _Such precious cargo you bear,_

 _Do you know somewhere he can be free,_

 _River deliver him there"_

Chris had closed his eyes and soaked in Piper's voice singing that song, his lullaby. Oh how he'd missed that. It was the one song that could put him to sleep. Wyatt had tried to sing it to him after their mother had passed but it had never been the same when it wasn't _Mom's voice_ that sang it. "Yeah, that's the one"

"Why would I sing that song to you?" Piper didn't understand, that song was about a mother giving up her baby. It was a goodbye. Why would she make that her son's lullaby?

"You… future you, always said that one never knew when their last day would be. You never wanted me to forget that you loved me but that you might not be there the following day"

Leo and Piper were appalled, "Why would I ever want a child to know that? Let alone my child?"

"That was the nature of the world we lived in." Chris replied, "By the time I was born it was already obvious that something was wrong with Wyatt, having another male in the family scared the others and they didn't want anything to do with me. In the following years Wyatt was making a greater name for himself and no one was comfortable with him but knew better than to fight him as he was the twice blessed and it was the age of boys. It was no secret that anyone who had crossed paths with Wyatt in a negative way would go missing. Some would turn up days later traumatized and others would never turn up again. It wasn't uncommon even then for someone to leave for work in the morning and never return."

"How old were you when you learned that?" Leo asked revolted.

"I've always known," Chris shrugged, "That's life"

"That's not life Chris…" Piper started but he wouldn't listen.

"It might not be life for you currently but where I grew up that's the way things worked." Chris explained. "I've never known any different so it's not that big of a deal to me"

"It should be" Leo said, "Whether a person is still alive should matter!"

Rolling his eyes Chris turned to fully face Leo, "I know that life is important Leo, why do you think I started the resistance. I wanted to save as many as possible. That does not change the fact that someone disappearing and never showing up again was something to stop and mourn over, especially in the middle of a war."

"Alright" Leo sighed, he wouldn't get through to Chris in one conversation and they were currently here for another reason. "Let's just move on. What was your relationship like with the family? I know it wasn't pleasant but I am curious as to why you think we hate you?"

"As I have already stated they were not fond of me. Wyatt was fifteen when he slipped the two of you the lust potions, it was never planned to add another baby to the family. Wyatt had been giving you all enough trouble and, from what I've been told, every baby after him had made him angrier and angrier because they were all females. Wyatt had somehow learned of the 'age of boys' and wanted to test the theory. You," this he directed at Leo, "were also concerned about this prospect when I was born and you didn't want to have another Wyatt. From what I could understand you were not willing to admit to any failing as a parent and thus blamed Wyatt's… ways on the fact that he had so much power. After all as Lord Acton wrote in 1877 'power tents to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely'."

"You blamed the amount of power Wyatt had on his corruption and, since it was the age of boys, I would have a similar amount of power thus would be corrupted as well. Refusing to deal with another son like Wyatt you decided to 'keep me in line'. Somehow you had the others on your side with the exception of Piper. Again I think the way Wyatt acted helped the rest of the family to see me as a threat as well."

"I only remember living in the basement and from a very early age I had a lot of chores to do around the house. I was never allowed to play with my cousins or siblings though Wyatt was always there if I truly needed him. Leo, you would often find things wrong with anything I'd done. You would punish me regularly but it was always worse when Wyatt had done something evil as well. You knew you couldn't punish Wyatt so you would take it out on me instead."

"Chris, I…. I will never" Leo interrupted.

"You did" Chris replied, "And there is little reason to think you won't again if I do not save Wyatt. If I do then it will be a moot point as there will be no me."

Chris paused a moment to collect himself before continuing. He hated this but on some level it felt good to tell him parents the truth, to see the reactions on their faces. To see as they realized that they had not been wonderful parents, that they had made mistakes. Leo more so than Piper; but still mistakes none the less.

"When I was about four I started to go stir crazy cooped up in the manor all day long. You wouldn't let me out, didn't want others to see me or me to see them. Afraid that I might start going after those I didn't like or that others might come after me I do not know. The more I hated being stuck inside the more my magic would respond in kind. Eventually Piper, you talked Leo into letting me leave the house but Leo would only allow me to go to the underworld. I do wonder if he thought I would just end up dead down there and you all would be rid of me."

"Before I went down for the first time Wyatt pulled me aside and taught me a spell to change my orbs to black and how to pass as a dark lighter child. He also told me to let him know if anything bad happened to me down there. I did at first but quickly found that if I complained about another child being mean or picking on me as most small children do then I would never see that child again. Even at four I could tell something was wrong. I stopped telling Wyatt about things quickly enough."

"When I turned four and a half I killed my first demon. It wasn't on purpose. A demon had gotten into the house and was going after Piper. I didn't want to see her hurt so I ended up sending every knife in the kitchen into the demon. Did the trick; the thing went up in flames. I also managed to scare Paige, or Mrs. Paige, with the burst of power."

"Mrs. Paige? Why Mrs.? Why did you call me Mr. Leo earlier when you were five?" Leo interrupted.

"Because you all wanted nothing to do with me I was ordered to call all adult males Mr., and all adult females Mrs. The cousins would just be called by their first name. I also had to show submission by bowing my head slightly and never looking any of you in the eye" Chris explained.

"After that I had a quota for how many demons I had to vanquish in order to earn privileges. As proof I had to bring back a sample of ash, blood or some trinket. The good news was I was I had fewer chores and almost unrestricted access to the underworld and my friends."

"Your friends were… demons?" Piper asked.

"Yes" Chris nodded, "They thought I was a dark lighter child and we all had a good time. I rather enjoyed seeing them on a daily basis. The difficulty came in vanquishing demons when I couldn't really do it in front of my friends."

Chris waited a moment for any more questions before continuing on. "As to why I think you hate me, I don't I know you do. Leo you did everything in your power to ensure that the entire family not only hated me but treated me as a servant. I had to wait on you all hand and foot. I helped with the cooking, cleaning, vanquishes, potion making, everything. You also beat me at least once a week. There's not a doubt in my mind that you hate me."

"I'm not that Leo Chris" Leo stated, "I will never do those things to you. You are my son…"

"I'm not going to listen to your platitudes Leo. You feel bad now but that does not mean it won't happen. If I'm even born." Chris said simple.

"As for Piper. The fact that she hates me became painfully obvious when she left me."

"Left you?" Piper asked horrified.

"Yes," Chris nodded, "You gave up and left me with your body…" He couldn't continue. He hated that time; it was the worst moment of his life. He never wanted to think on it again let alone tell his future mother that she hated him so much she gave up, willingly died and abandoned her youngest child, a mere five year old at the time, to spend his last days alone in a small, cramped cave in the mountains to die. One his birthday no less.

"Chris…" Piper started. How could she respond to that? She didn't have all the details but she could safely assume that she had died. But then you know what they say about assuming. "Baby, I don't hate you. I would never have left you if I could have avoided it."

Chris merely shrugged before continuing on with his tale. The sooner he moved past this the better he'd feel. "After Piper… passed away, I was stuck at the manor with people who hated me. Wyatt was almost never around anymore, the only reason he'd ever been present regularly was because of Piper. She never abandoned her sons."

Piper felt pride well up in herself here. At least she'd tried, or her future self had, in some small way to make a good life for her children.

"I never did start school. Wyatt had wanted me to go but since Leo had to be the one to register me as the parent it didn't happen. After a year I think Wyatt had grown tired of arguing with everyone about me so he… took care of it his way."

"What does that mean?" Leo asked nervously.

"He killed everyone when they ignored my sixth birthday." Chris answered.

"Is that why no one came back with you? Because you're all that's left?" Piper asked horrified.

"Aside from Wyatt, yes, I am the only Halliwell left." Chris said.

"Why is Wyatt so protective of you?" Leo wondered.

"He wanted a brother and went to great lengths to get me" Chris explained, "He didn't want to be alone. His family was scared of him and he had no real friends. He wanted someone he could control but who would also love him and stand by him. He wanted someone who could understand him. He thought the best way to have all of that would be to have a male cousin or brother. Because he played such a large part in my conception and was there for my birth and taught me how to walk and talk he felt that he owned me, especially after Piper died."

"Even after you defied him by refusing to join him?" Leo continued.

"That he blamed on Piper. He said that she had screwed with my head by putting that whole good vs. evil crap in there. He also blamed the rest of the family for the way they treated me. He's said many times that he should have just taken me the moment I was born and never returned. He didn't because Piper had loved me and he had loved her. After she passed he thought I needed stability so he'd left me. Plus he was hurting them to."

"What happened after Wyatt… killed the family?" Piper hated to ask.

"I told you this wouldn't be something you'd enjoy" Chris replied seeing Piper's distress.

"And I told you this is something I want to know" Piper replied.

"We should stop this"

"NO" Piper stated. "You agreed to answer any and all questions we have. Now let's continue."

Chris hated to do this. He didn't want to relive it and had glossed over so much for Piper's benefit already. Still he woman was in pain because of what he was saying. One part of him felt horrible for putting his mother in pain. Another part of him was gaining some form of sick satisfaction from the pain of both his parents at what they had done to him. Regardless, he had agreed to do this so he would continue.

"After Wyatt killed everyone I orbed down to the underworld and cloaked myself. I had become very good at it by that point. I could hear Wyatt calling for me and trying to summon me but I had hidden myself well. Before Piper died she had helped me build a well-warded area in the underworld incase I ever needed a safe place to go. She was smart like that, always thinking ahead. She had stocked the place with potions, ingredients, spell books, some food and other necessities. It was our emergency bunker."

"I lived in the underworld after that. I spent time with my friends and stole food when I needed it. I studied the books in the bunker, a veritable library. Piper had saved many books from the library at magic school when they closed the place down. There was an entire cavern full of bookshelves that were overflowing. I learned a lot during that time."

"As the years passed Wyatt took over more and more. Soon it was join or die. Many of my friends lost their parents to Wyatt or his minions. I quickly found my little bunker filling with more and more children demon, dark lighter and witch alike. We knew we had to do something to keep ourselves alive and there wasn't enough food in the underworld to support us so we started to scavenge above ground. That's when I saw the true destruction of the world I had left."

"I knew who was responsible for the state of the world and felt that, as the last Halliwell left and as the brother of the cause of all of it, I had to do something to set things right. By this time the fact that I was half witch half elder had already come out amongst my friends but due to the war above and the fact that we were all orphans no one cared anymore. After our first foray above ground we all agreed that something had to be done and it was obvious the adults weren't doing anything. Naturally the only sane response was to do something ourselves. This was the start of the resistance."

"So the resistance was you and your friends?" Leo asked.

"Yes" Chris agreed.

"How old were you?" Piper wanted to know.

"I started the resistance when I was eight. My friends were around the same age, some were a little older but none over the age of ten." Chris explained. "As time went on and we started becoming better at battle tactics and started doing some actual damage to Wyatt's forces others began to take notice. At first a few of us would glamour ourselves to look older, I would be about sixteen or so, at that time it was a six year difference. Adults were hesitant but willing to follow a group of older teenagers. None were willing to follow a ten year old and his friends."

"It took four years for someone to learn the truth. I had been knocked unconscious in battle and was badly wounded. I had dropped my glamour unconsciously in an effort for my magic to try and keep me alive until help could come. I woke up on my cot a week later. That took a serious bit of explaining but since I was fourteen at that time and many of them had been with the resistance for years already everything smoothed itself out eventually."

"When I was eighteen I was captured by Wyatt's people. He tried to convince me to join his side. That's when he mentioned being captured as a child and how it was his superior power that had saved him. Not good or evil but power. I asked him how old he was but he wouldn't answer. Two and a half weeks later the resistance broke me out but that was the start to my plan."

"What did you find out?" Leo asked knowing that Chris was meticulous. He wouldn't have come back here without having some type of idea as far as a timeline went.

"That Wyatt did indeed go missing for a month when he was five years old. I don't know who took him or what happened but I believe that was the trigger for his turning. So I decided to come back to the past to fix things since nothing I'd been doing up until that point had made a difference"

"What does that mean?" Leo prodded, "What about the resistance, that made a difference"

Chris snorted, "Oh yeah, a real difference. It gathered everyone in one spot so that they would be prime for a slaughter"

"What?" Piper gasped.

"Wyatt found us eventually. Somehow snuck a spy in, a child of all things. I would never have suspected a child and Wyatt knew that. It was a week after my nineteenth birthday and all of a sudden Wyatt's minions came storming into the place, his entire army. We were no match; and even though we managed to stay alive for a few days it didn't end well. Three of us escaped, one of whom was the child. That's when I learned she was the traitor because she called for Wyatt. Grick and I left her and orbed out. We went straight to the manor. We were both supposed to come back but Wyatt's people showed up unexpectedly and Grick was killed with an energy ball as I came through."

Sitting back with a sigh Chris looked up at the two people across from him on the couch, "The rest you know. I was three days early for the titans so I waited and came when the time was right. Now I do believe I have held up my end of the bargain. So… It's time to let me leave."


End file.
